Inertia
by Wishful Thinker8
Summary: COMPLETE Once he started, he just couldn't seem to stop.....DARK FIC! angsty, mature themes. Pairings: YamiYugi, SetoJou, possible RyouBakura EPILOGUE UP OCT 14!
1. Chapter 1

meh, no clue where this fic came from  
  
Disclaimer-I do not and never will own these characters  
  
Warnings-Angst, Yaoi (Male/Male), Rape, general torturing of my favorite characters, Dark fic, swearing  
  
Pairings-Yami/Yugi, Seto/Jounouchi (Jou), possible Ryou/Bakura  
  
Oh, and I'm using most of the Japanese names...just so you know...  
  
'blah'-thoughts  
"blah"-talking  
/blah/-Yugi to Yami, or Ryou to Bakura  
//blah//-Yami to Yugi or Bakura to Ryou  
Inertia  
  
'Pain...that's all I can feel now. Heartbreaking, body crushing pain. It's suffocating me...driving me insane...why is god putting me through this? I can't handle it...no one can...why can't I just die? I am worthless...no one will care if I live...I am tainted...nobody will want me now....'  
  
*~*Earlier that night*~*  
  
Yugi Mutou was sitting on his couch, cuddled up in Yami's arms, enjoying the warmth that the spirit offered him. The smaller boy jumped slightly when the telephone rang, but calmed down when Yami tightened his arms around his waist. "You sure are jumpy tonight Aibou" Yami commented, looking down at Yugi with a concerned look in his narrowed crimson eyes. Yugi met this gaze head on with his wide, innocent violet orbs.  
  
"I didn't get very much sleep last night. I was worried about grandpa," he said quietly. "He has that cold..." Yami couldn't help but smile. His hikari always seemed to be concerned for the people around him. The taller teen then placed a kiss on Yugi's forehead.  
  
"I'm sure he will be fine, a simple cold, nothing more". Suddenly,   
the candle on the other side of the room flicked gently when Yugi's grandpa, Sugoroku, opened the door to the living room, creating a rush of air. "Excuse me boys" He said politely. "But I need to ask you a favor Yugi". The small teen adverted his gaze from the T.V to his only living relative.  
  
"What's the matter grandpa?"  
  
"I need you to run an errand for me" Sugoroku explained, holding out a small brown paper bag. Yami quirked an eyebrow and Yugi glanced at the grandfather clock that stood in the corner of the warm room. It chimed softly, letting Yugi know that it was 9:00 p.m.  
  
"But why so late?"  
  
"My friend just called and he's needs this package right away. I'd go myself but I'd like to go to bed early to see if I can shake off this pesky cold" the elder man explained tiredly, coughing quietly. Yugi immediately stood up and went to his grandpa's side.  
  
"Of course I'll go. You just head upstairs and get some sleep" he said worriedly, taking the bag. Sugoroku smiled slightly.  
  
"I knew I could count on you my boy. You remember where Haruki lives, right?"  
  
Yugi nodded quickly. "Just 3 blocks away from here. Now you go up to bed! I'll even make breakfast in the morning" Sugoroku chuckled, turning to head upstairs.  
  
"Just don't let Yami near the stove...we don't want another fire...". Yami glared at the pair from where he sat on the couch.   
  
"I am still in the room...and it wasn't a big fire...." He muttered, trying to look angry but the sight of Yugi laughing, eyes sparkling, his anger ebbed away.  
  
"I promise I won't let Yami near the stove. You go upstairs now and sleep" Sugoroku's grandson commanded.  
  
"Yes sir" the game shop owner said teasingly, walking up the flight of stairs before him. "Goodnight Yami, goodnight Yugi. Don't stay up too late now".  
  
"We won't" the pair replied simutaniously. They stood still for a moment, until they heard a door open and close again. Then they knew that Yugi's grandpa had indeed gone to bed. Yugi sighed heavily and moved towards the front door. Yami lifted himself off the couch and walked over to his aibou.  
  
"Did you want me to go with you?" Yugi shook his head, causing his hair to sway back and forth.  
  
"I'll be 10 minutes at the most. You stay here" the younger of the pair insisted, putting on a jean jacket. The spirit eyed his doubtfully.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes!" Yugi cried out. "I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself!". This outburst caused Yami to smile slightly.   
  
"All right my hikari, just be careful..." and with those words said, Yami leaned down and brushed his lips across Yugi's. The small boy's breath caught in his throat and pulled away quickly before he got too involved and never got out the door. Yugi fumbled for the doorknob but Yami found it first and opened it. "Don't be long...". Yugi, not trusting his voice, meerly nodded again, and stepped out into the cool night air. He heard Yami close the door behind him and Yugi started to walk down the eerily quiet street.  
  
'I'm so lucky to have someone like Yami...I mean, he could have chose anyone...but he chose me...the kid who's always been ignored, teased...it's almost like a dream' Yugi thought as he neared Haruki's house. 'I'm always afraid that someday that I'll wake up and Yami will be gone....'. As the house came in sight, Yugi noticed that there were no lights on. 'Maybe I should just leave it on his front step....'. Suddenly, the door to the house creaked opened and an elderly man appeared, his salt and pepper hair glinting from the street lights.  
  
"Is that you Yugi?" he called out, stepping out of the house. Yugi grinned and bounded up the wooden porch steps.  
  
"Yup, I have your package Haruki" he said cheerfully, handing over the brown paperbag. Haruki took it and looked inside, seeing that everything was there.  
  
"Thank you so much Yugi" the elderly man replied, looking grateful. "Are you okay walking home by yourself?"  
  
"I'll be fine, it's only a ten minute walk" the tri-colored haired teen remarked. "See you later!" and with that Yugi practically flew down the steps, eager to get home to spend his alone time with Yami. His paced slowed however when he heard footsteps behind him. "Wh...who's there?" he called out, stumbling over some words out of sheer nervousness. The only answer he received was heavy breathing. Panicking, Yugi started to run, fast, desperate to get away from whomever was behind him. He stopped short when the person grabbed from behind and threw Yugi up against the side of the building. He cried out in pain as his open skin rubbed itself raw against the rough brick. "Let me go!"  
  
"So beautiful, my little whore, you'll please me just fine...."  
  
*~*  
  
Yami frowned slightly as the clock chimed 9:45. 'Where is Yugi? He should have been back 20 minutes ago...'. The ancient pharaoh tried to sense his sprit through the link they shared, but for some reason, Yugi's end was blocked. 'Something is not right' he decided, standing up. 'I must go look for him'. Just as Yami started to walk out of the room, a news reporter came on television with the late breaking news.  
  
"Coming up on the 10 o'clock news, the famous creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters, Duke Devlin ((uh...someone tell me if I haven't spelt that right....)) is in the hospital in a critical state after being found on the streets. Doctors say that he has been drugged with a substance that they know very little about. Stay tuned for the details with me, Connie Yamakzi" she said formally. "We now return you to our regularly scheduled program" and with that, the show that both Yugi and Yami had been watching just a few minutes before, came back on like nothing happened.  
  
"Yugi, aibou" the spirit murmured. "Please be okay". He quickly put on a black leather jacket and hurried outside. For 10 nerve-wracking moments, Yami searched the streets of Domino with no luck. He had just rounded the corner to go back to the game shop when he stopped suddenly. There was someone lying in the middle of the sidewalk, unmoving. Yami knew at once that it was his hikari. "Yugi!" he cried, quickly kneeling down beside him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"  
  
Yugi hid his face in the ground. He felt so dirty, so ashamed. Tears started to run back down his already tear-stained cheeks as he regained consciousness. "Don't...touch me" he choked out in a low voice, so different from his normal tone.   
  
"What's wrong aibou?" Yami asked worriedly. "Are you hurt?" Tears started to fall more freely down Yugi's cheeks, making it feel as thought his throat was closing up. Upon further inspection, Yami found that Yugi's clothes were ripped and dirty. He also found several cuts and scrapes in odd places. "Yugi? Please answer me" he pleaded, dread filling his heart.  
  
'He'll never want me now...I'm too weak.... tainted. I am not pure anymore' The small boy thought dully, more tears falling. Tired of waiting for an answer, Yami picked up his other half and to his surprise, Yugi stayed still, he didn't cling to his shirt like whenever he had picked him up before. He quickly walked back to the house, and locked the door behind them and as quietly as possible, he brought Yugi upstairs. With his foot, Yami pushed open the door to Yugi's room and set him down on the un-made bed. Now that they were in the light, Yami could see the tears that continuously fell. He reached out and wiped one away.  
  
"Aibou...speak to me". No response. Yami decided to try another method of communicating.  
  
//Yugi, what happened? Please tell me//  
  
/He...hurt...me/  
  
Yami's heart lurched. Now that their link was open, he could feel each one of Yugi's emotions. They poured through so freely that Yami could barely withstand them. All this pain and sadness. Who had caused this boy such grief? //Tell me what happened Yugi...// he pleaded mentally.  
  
There was a long pause before there was an answer. /I ...was walking home. Heard someone from behind. I ran. He caught me and.....and....../. The last word just wouldn't come but Yami already knew what it was. He watched as Yugi's violet orbs closed and his hikari turned his back to him.   
  
'WHY HIM?' he screamed mentally. 'He didn't deserve this! He's so innocent!' Slowly, and ever so carefully, Yami reached over and pulled the covers overtop of Yugi. He then placed a gentle hand on the young boy's shoulder. Yugi flinched under this simple act and Yami felt like crying. Yugi had never acted like this around him; it was heartbreaking to see. //Yugi...aibou, who did this to you? //  
  
Yugi's breathing quickened and he choked back a few more sobs. All he wanted to do was fall asleep where he didn't have to think about this anymore, he didn't have to hear the rejection that Yami was going to give him. He wanted to be numb, void of life, soul. But even still, he managed to choke out one word.  
  
"Duke"  
  
TBC  
  
So, what does everyone think?  
  
Wishful Thinker 


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone. Thanks for all the great reviews.... I'm glad no one caught on to the plot twist yet.   
  
Disclaimer-I do not and never will own these characters  
Warnings-Angst, yaoi (Male/Male), Rape, general torturing of my favorite characters, Dark fic, swearing.   
  
An additional warning, you'll get to see different sides of characters.  
Pairings-Yami/Yugi, Seto/Jounouchi (Jou), possible Ryou/Bakura  
'Blah'-thoughts  
"Blah"-talking  
/blah/- Yugi to Yami, or Ryou to Bakura  
//blah//- Yami to Yugi or Bakura to Ryou  
  
Inertia  
  
'My soul is black, frozen. My innocence taken from me...Stabbing, slicing, those words echo through my head, not allowing me to rest....to forget. I want to forget! God, please let me clean myself, purify my body...please take my soul'  
  
*~*  
  
Yami yawned tiredly as he stumbled down the 2 flights of stairs in order to get to the kitchen. Yugi was still upstairs sleeping. After Yugi had told Yami who had raped him, the young one had cried himself to sleep. Yami had just sat there, unbelieving, not sure what to do. Everytime he had tried to comfort his hikari, he had just shied away from the touch, as though Yami would hurt him in some way. The clanking of pots brought Yami back into reality as he realized that Sugoroku was up. 'Oh no...how on earth am I going to explain this to him?' As the ancient pharaoh thought over his predicament, Mr. Mutou stuck his head out into the hallway to see Yami just standing there.   
  
"Oh, you're up Yami. I'm sorry if I woke you" he apologized.  
  
"I was already up," Yami said softly. This wasn't a lie; he had been up all night, watching to make sure Yugi was okay.  
  
"Anyways, I just got a phone call from Arthur Hawkins, you remember his granddaughter Rebecca, right?"  
  
Yami managed a small smile. "Yes, I don't think we could forget her". Sugoroku just laughed quietly.  
  
"Well, Arthur has recently came in possession of some ancient scrolls from the Aztec Temples. We've decided that we'll get them figured out much faster if we work side by side, so I'll be gone for about a month and a half...do you think both of you can handle watching the store while I go and help him?" Yugi's grandpa explained, heading towards the foyer where 2 suitcases sat ready and waiting.  
  
"We'll be fine" The spirit replied, after hesitating slightly. The game-shop owner nodded. A horn beeped from outside, signaling that there was a vehicle waiting outside.  
  
"There's my taxi, tell Yugi I'll call when I get in" he added, picking up one suitcase. Being helpful, Yami waked over and carried out the other one to the taxi for him. "Goodbye Yami, and don't forget to sweep the steps everyday!" and with that last comment, Sugoroku disappeared from sight.  
  
*~*  
  
Yugi stared at his ceiling for what felt like hours. There were millions of little stars there...representing the constellations. A few months ago, he had tried to teach yami about these heavenly bodies, but after many cloudy nights, Yugi had given up and had bought some glow in the dark stars to stick on the roof that Yugi had always thought was too white. His heart ached at the fond memory; the many long nights spent just looking up at them, explaining everything. It's funny how little memories can sneak up on you and tug at your heart. 'Maybe everything will be alright...maybe Yami will still....' His thoughts trailed off as Yugi remembered Yami's reaction combined with the sharp pain in his lower back as a constant reminder. 'I have been tainted...it's been stolen from me and I can not get it back...'.  
  
*~*  
  
Yami had been sitting at the kitchen table for an hour now, head in his arms, his mind swimming with thoughts. 'I don't know what to do' he thought miserably, 'I don't know how to react...'. He pulled his head up and glanced over at the counter. Sugoroku had made pancakes for the 2 of them. 'I should go see if Yugi wants some breakfast...'. Yami stood up and walked out of the room, his heart still heavy. He had to force his legs to carry him up the stairs and turn to knock on Yugi's closed door. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on it quietly.  
  
On the inside of the room, Yugi jumped slightly at the new noise. All his muscles tightened; he knew it was Yami...the one person he did not want to see...the one person he could not bear to see. 'Maybe if I don't answer...he won't come in'.   
  
"Aibou?" The spirit called through the barrier separating them. "Are you awake?"  
  
'Not by choice...I just want to sleep forever' the small boy thought sadly. 'I want to escape my pain...'. Getting no verbal response, Yami opened the door a crack to see his hikari lying on the bed, his beautiful violet eyes just staring at the ceiling.  
"Yugi?". No response. Yami hesitated before entering the room and approaching the bed. "I thought you might like to know that your grandpa is gone on a trip. He didn't want to wake up you...he said he'd call when he got to Professor Hawkins house...". No response again, the only way that Yami knew Yugi was alive was that he blinked his eyes every few minutes and his chest rose steadily up and down. Without really thinking about what he was doing, the spirit knelt down on the ground and gently touched Yugi's shoulder. The small boy's eyes widened drastically and his breathing became rapid.   
  
"Get away" Yugi whispered, starting to shudder as memories from the previous night entered his mind. "Don't touch me"  
  
"Please aibou, we must talk" Yami pleaded.  
  
"Please...leave me alone...."  
  
"We can't avoid this"  
  
"I...don't want to...talk"  
  
"Yugi..."  
  
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Yugi screamed, sitting straight up in bed, eyes clouded with tears. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" He jumped off the bed, ignoring the jolts of pain that were sent through his body and ran out into the hall and into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. It felt as though Yami had been stabbed in the heart by Yugi's harsh words. Even though their link was only partially open, the spirit still felt heavy with emotions, both his and Yugi's as he stood up and walked out of the room.  
  
*~*  
The small boy stared at his reflection with a hint of disgust of his pale, scratched face. 'I can't bear to face him...' One tear fell, quickly followed by another. Yugi reached up a hand and brushed the away quickly, but more fell in place of the 2 he had gotten rid of. 'I'm so weak...I can't even defend myself...no wonder he doesn't want me anymore...' Blindly, he reached over and turned on the shower, making the water as hot as he could possibly stand it. Quickly, he stripped out his bloodied, torn clothes that he had slept in and got into the shower. Yugi hissed as the near scalding water rained down on his back, getting into open cuts and pounding relentlessly on fresh bruises.  
  
*~* Flashback*~*  
  
"My beautiful little whore, you'll please me well..." Duke hissed, slamming Yugi up against the wall. He cried out in pain as his open skin rubbed itself raw against the rough brick.   
  
"Let me go!"  
  
"Not until I've had my fun" the drug induced Duke said, slurring his words and he ripped off Yugi's shirt. The small boy could feel Duke's erection digging into his stomach. He then knew that he was in big trouble. He desperately tried to dislodge Duke's grip but it was futile.  
  
"Please" he whispered, tears gathering in his scared violet eyes. "Don't hurt me....". Duke put his face near Yugi's. Yugi flinched as his rapist's hot breath drifted across his cheek. Duke captured Yugi's lips in a forceful kiss, forcing his tongue into the small boy's mouth. He let go after a few minutes for he needed to breathe.   
  
"I'm not letting you go till I'm done" he murmured, trailing a finger over Yugi's chest. "You're my little toy and it's my turn to play"  
  
*~*End Flashback*~*  
  
Yugi started to shiver violently as the memories from last night played in his head. He sat down on the hard floor of the tub, creating a pool of water beneath him. Pulling his legs up to his chest, in a fetal position, he began to rock back and forth slightly, ignoring the pain it caused him. 'That's all I'll ever be...someone's little toy to play with...'  
  
*~*  
Yami jerked his head up from the table. He eyed the dark room suspisiously, then cursed mentally. He must have fallen asleep in the kitchen, waiting for Yugi to come out. The pancakes were still sitting on the table, looking forlorn. He glanced at the clock and his jaw nearly dropped. It was 8:00pm...he had been sleeping for 7 hours! Yami quickly stood up, knocking the chair out from beneath him. He ran up the stairs and noticed that the bathroom door was open and Yugi wasn't in his room. The spirit's heart sank...Yugi had left the house. //Aibou? // He tried through the mental link. No response. Making up his mind, the ancient pharaoh ran back down stairs and grabbed his black leather coat from where it hung on its hook. 'I must find Yugi...I can't allow him to get hurt again...' he thought determinedly, before leaving the shop, locking the door behind him.  
  
A few minutes later, the phone rang inside the shop...it rang once...twice....three times, and since no one was home...no one answered. On the other end of the line, Sugoroku frowned. 'Oh well, I'll try tomorrow, they must be out at a friend's house or something...' and with that thought, he hung up the phone and thought nothing more of it.  
  
*~*  
  
Yugi stumbled down the streets of downtown Domino. He had been walking for nearly four hours, in an attempt to outrun the previous night's experiences. He shivered as a cold wind gusted by. He was only dressed in a baggy gray sweatshirt with a loose pair of black pants. His hair was still slightly damp from his shower earlier on that day. Through cloudy eyes, Yugi saw a bar up ahead. He could hear loud music from where he stood, 30 meters away. Suddenly, there was the sound of bottles breaking and loud swearing. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and made his way over to the counter. Barley wincing, he hoisted himself up on a stool and as the bartender for a drink of water. A few minutes later, the water arrived, in a slightly dirty glass. Yugi took a small sip and grimaced; there was still the taste of alcohol on the glass. He jumped slightly when someone put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed up against his back.  
  
"Hey beautiful" the person purred. "You look so lonely and wanting. How 'bout you give me a good ride?" Yugi slowly turned around to see a man there. This person's hair hung to his shoulder, dirty brown in color and very greasy looking. His clothes weren't in much shape. Tattered sneakers clung to his feet by mere threads and his pants seemed to be black but with all the vomit and other stains, it was impossible to tell.  
  
"I...don't even know your name..." the millenium puzzle holder whispered, calmly looking the man in the face.  
  
"The name's Ranger, sugar" he murmured seductively, caressing the shoulder he had his hand on. Yugi let out a shaky breath and hopped off the stool.  
  
"Well then Ranger, do you have a room or are we going out in the ally?" he asked in a surprisingly calm and confident voice. Ranger's sadistic smiled widened and he bent down and picked Yugi up, nuzzling the small boy's neck.  
  
"Of course Ranger has a room, let us go to it..." and Ranger proceeded to shove his way through the crowded bar, shielding Yugi from the curious looks of other people.  
  
Yugi nearly cringed as he realized what he was submitting himself to but then reminded himself that he was just a toy...one that people use, then throw away when it's broken. 'I am no more that a little whore, a toy, a plaything..."  
  
TBC  
  
Well, the good version will be up soon so sorry for all the mistakes...Please review  
  
Wishful Thinker 


	3. Chapter 3

Whoa, sorry it's been so long since I've updated! I was in Spain for march break, then we got our report cards and I found out I'm failing physics...so expect some longer delays with this fic and The Day Spent In Yugi Mutou's brain. Thanks for all the reviews!  
  
Disclaimer-I do not and never will own these characters  
Warnings-Angst, yaoi (Male/Male), Rape, general torturing of my favorite characters, Dark fic, swearing.   
  
An additional warning, you'll get to see different sides of characters.  
Pairings-Yami/Yugi, Seto/Jounouchi (Jou), possible Ryou/Bakura  
'Blah'-thoughts  
"Blah"-talking  
/blah/- Yugi to Yami, or Ryou to Bakura  
//blah//- Yami to Yugi or Bakura to Ryou  
  
Inertia  
  
'I am a plaything, used and abused. They pick me off the shelf and then throw me in the garbage. I have no soul, no heart, they are gone, replaced by black nothingness. I feel no regret, no love, nothing, no emotions. What did I do to deserve this? Everyone, stay away, I am no longer pure'  
  
*~*  
  
Yami ran doggedly through the streets of Domino; he had been searching for over 2 hours now with no luck at finding Yugi. 'Aibou...what evil provoked you to run away?' the spirit thought confusedly. Desperately, he prodded around in his head for any indication that Yugi had re-established their link, but luck was not on his side for that either. Yugi had completely cut him off, leaving an ache in Yami's heart that would not be quieted. His crimson eyes peered into the darkness ahead, spotting the sign that gave directions to the park where the 2 look alikes had gone to from time to time. 'Please let him be okay' Yami pleaded to the gods. 'I don't know what I'll do if he isn't...'   
  
*~*  
  
Ranger carefully laid Yugi down on the bed, then crawled on top of the small boy. "Ranger hopes you like it fast and rough 'cause that's what he likes" The stranger whispered hotly into the boy's small ear. Yugi shuddered as Ranger's putrid breath blew across his face. He didn't want this...not in one way shape or form but for some reason, he just couldn't seem to stop himself. Maybe he would end up finding true love after all. The dirty man grinned as he started to take off Yugi's clothes and throw them on the wooden floor, not caring where they landed. The gray sweatshirt was nearly ripped off his body, quickly followed by his baggy black pants. Yugi just laid there on the sheetless bed with only his navy blue boxers on, shivering and looking very vulnerable. Ranger dragged his tongue across his parched lips as his hazel eyes took in the boy's small form. This boy was heavenly; he couldn't wait to ram himself in, to make Yugi bleed. Not taking his eyes off him for one moment, he blindly walked backwards to the splintered desk and opened a drawer. He then pulled out a stiff leather whip and slapped it against his hand, creating a loud cracking noise.  
  
Yugi flinched slightly. A whip? What was Ranger going to do? He was having second thoughts as the man approached the bed again, this time kneeling beside the small teen. "I told you Ranger likes it rough" he repeated, grinning evilly, quickly turning Yugi on his back, holding him there with sheer strength alone. The tri-color haired boy let of a cry of surprise as this happened, which soon turned into a cry of pain as the whip was brought down on his back, leaving a long thin red welt that contrasted with the bruises there from the previous night. One tear fell, than another till they refused to stop coming. Yugi could feel Ranger's erection digging into his upper part leg and winced inwardly. He had asked for this, for it was now his destiny.  
  
*~*  
  
Yami sat down miserably on a bench in the park. It had started to rain, turning everything damp and cold. Things couldn't possible get any worse...As if on cue, the rain started to come down harder, instantly soaking all of Yami's clothes, chilling him to the bone. He just sat there though, lost in is own thoughts. This happened to be the place where him and Yugi first admitted that they liked each other.  
*~* Flashback*~*  
  
The sun shone down on the spirit and millenium puzzler holder as they walked side by side through the trees. The silence between them was very uncomfortable. Over the past week, Yami didn't seem to be able to repress his growing feelings for the smaller boy. He knew that he had fallen in love with Yugi from the very start but he knew that his hikari would not love him back. What light could love the dark? Yugi grinned up at Yami, trying not to notice the distant look on Yami's face.  
  
'He's been so quiet lately, maybe Jou was wrong...maybe Yami doesn't like me the way I like him' he thought worriedly. 'I don't know if I could stand to be hurt by him...I mean, what dark would love light?'  
  
The ancient pharaoh noticed some skaters coming their way. He eyed them warily as they got closer, not slowing down at all. "Look out!" one of the cried. "We can't stop!" Yugi, lost in his own thoughts didn't hear this and just kept on walking, straight towards them.   
  
The spirit's crimson eyes widened drastically as he realized that Yugi was in danger of being run-over. "Aibou!" he cried, pushing Yugi out of the way with such a force that it caused both of them to lose their balance and fall on the grass, Yami landing on top of Yugi. The skaters rushed by, creating a gust of wind. Finally noticing their position they were in, Yami blushed slightly and quickly got off the small teen and offered him a hand up. "Are you okay?"  
  
Yugi nodded, looking a bit dazed. "What did you say before you pushed me out of the way?" he asked curiously, taking the offered hand. Yami surpresed a shudder if delight as he felt Yugi's hand touch his. Everytime they were together, a delicious warm feeling spread through his body, as though trying to warm up his heart and soul, it felt like Yugi's soul was reaching out to caress his.  
  
"I called you aibou, it means partner" he replied nervously. He had never actually called Yugi one of the nicknames that he had thought up. Yugi thought carefully for a moment, not really wanting to let go of the spirits hand. Even though he hated to admit it to himself Yugi had fallen head over heels for Yami and there was no ignoring his feelings now. Noticing that Yugi still looked a bit dazed, Yami crouched down to eye level, looking very worried. "Are you sure you're okay, aibou?" He hit himself mentally for letting another 'aibou' slip out of his mouth. Yugi was jerked out of his thoughts as he noticed how close he and Yami were...close enough to share a kiss.  
  
"I'm better than I have been in awhile" he whispered, heart pounding furiously before leaning over and gently pressing his lips to Yami's. The spirit's eyes widened again, this time in shock. Yugi was...kissing him...The warm feelings washed over him again, this time stronger than ever. It opened the link that Yugi and him shared, letting the young one's emotions pour through. They all hit Yami at once, sending his mind reeling; he could sense fear, and loneliness. But more of the love and innocence his hikari possessed. His eyes slowly slide shut as he placed both his hands on Yugi's shoulders, deepening the kiss.  
  
It was Yugi's turn to be surprised as he felt Yami kiss him back. He was even more surprised when Yami opened their mind link, letting his emotions spill into Yugi's head. The spirit had never let him in before...Yugi could sense Yami's own fear...fear of being rejected by Yugi. A wonderful feeling filled his body making him feel loved...a feeling that could not be replaced by anyone one else but the ancient pharaoh. 'He likes me' Yugi thought happily. 'He's not backing away!' The kiss ended a minute later as both of them needed to breathe. "Yami...I...." He started to say before Yami reached out and placed one finger to his lips, causing Yugi to be quiet.  
  
"Shhh, my hikari. I do not think there are words to describe this" he whispered, eyes warm and gentle for once. The smaller of the pair offered him a gentle smile.  
  
"You're wrong Yami," he said quietly. "There are words"  
  
"And what would those be?"  
  
"I love you"  
  
*~*End Flashback*~*  
  
Remembering this moment could not even bring a smile back to Yami's face. Suddenly, he felt a shadow over him and the rain seemed to stop falling...at least where he was. He looked up to see Jounouchi holding an umbrella over his head, looking very worried.  
  
"Yami, what on earth are you doin' here?" the blonde asked curiously. "You shouldn't be out in the rain!" Yami simply adverted his gaze, determined not to show his tears infront of anyone, especially not Jou. Noticing that the spirit was his usual self, Jou sat down beside him and put a comforting arm around his shoulders. "Come on Yami, let's go back to my apartment and get you dried up and stuff" he suggested warmly. Wordlessly, the pharaoh stood and with Jou's arm still around him, the blonde led the way to his apartment.  
  
*~*  
  
Bakura's head suddenly jerked up as he felt a sharp pain run through his body. Ryou, who was reading a book beside his yami, noticed this sudden movement and looked at him. "Is something wrong Bakura?" he asked worriedly, scooting a bit closer. The spirit nodded.   
  
"I'm not sure who exactly it is...but one of the millennium item holders his being hurt...badly" he mumbled in a half trance like state. Ryou's face paled slightly.  
  
"You don't think it's Yugi...do you Bakura?" The white haired teen quickly shook his head.  
  
"Yami wouldn't let anything happen to that boy...even though his is rather annoying" he replied, his usual scowl coming back into place on his face. His 'twin' merely laughed at this.  
  
"Bakura, what did I say about calling people names?"  
  
"You said it wasn't nice...but since when do I listen to you?"  
  
Ryou thought about this for a moment before a secretive smile appeared on his face. "Since I...." He leaned over and whispered the rest in Bakura's ear. Standing up, he faked a loud yawn and stretched his arms up, causing his shirt to ride up, revealing a smooth white stomach. "I think I'll go to bed now....". But he never got a chance to finish his sentence as Bakura quickly stood up and hoisted Ryou over his shoulder like a sac of potatoes. "Bakura!" he squealed, "put me down!" The former tomb robber smirked evilly and proceeded to walk out of the room and up to Ryou's bedroom.  
  
"Let's just see if you'll follow through on your promise...." He replied, evil smirk growing wider. Ryou gulped silently. He had a feeling that he was in for one sleepless night.  
  
*~*  
  
Yugi staggered out of the room after managing to get his clothes back on. He swore that he could feel something running down his leg and he shivered violently, trying not to imagine what it could be. Every bone in his body hurt, and he knew that the whip markings were going to scar. Ranger came out right after the small boy and scooped his up in his arms. "Ranger's going to take you to meet his friends now" he announced proudly, practically running down the stairs.   
  
'Oh joy' Yugi thought, mind going numb. It seemed he was not privileged enough to be able to feel emotions for now, which was a good thing. He knew very well that yami could open their link by force...and he could not bear to hear the pharaoh's rejection that he knew was coming. 'Maybe the gods will kill me quickly...and not make me live this life of misery'.  
  
*~*  
  
Seto Kaiba's ears perked up when he heard the door to the apartment that he and Jou shared open and close. Smirking slightly to himself, he went out to greet his boyfriend. "Jou, where have you been?" he demanded, coming around the corner, pretending to be angry. "It was getting really late and I was..." His voice trailed off when he saw Jou...and a soaking wet Yami. "What are you doing here?' he asked curiously. Jounouchi looked up at Kaiba with pleading eyes.  
  
"He's not talkin' much" he murmured as he gently pushed the spirit forward towards the kitchen. "Somethin' awful must have happened". Seto's eyes widened slightly as he followed the pair into the kitchen. The blonde forced Yami to sit back down. "Seto, could you get some towels?" Kaiba nodded silently and walked back out of the room. Jou sat in the chair across from Yami. "Now, tell me what's wrong" he asked gently. "You look like you're gonna cry or somethin'". "You and Yugi didn't have a fight, did you?" At the mention of Yugi's name, a single tear escaped from Yami's crimson eyes and rolled down his cheek.  
  
"Yugi.... is gone Jou..." he whispered. "He's disappeared"  
  
TBC  
  
Well, what did everyone think? Good? Bad? Once again, I apologize for the long delay between chapters. Oh, and this isn't the good version, that should be up in a few days. Please R&R!   
  
Wishful Thinker  
  
P.s.: Thanks to Cherior who told me Duke's non-dubbed name, I would have used except I didn't know what it was. Ands thanks to my beta reader- Duo's Only Chick 


	4. Chapter 4

Needless to say, I'm a tad disappointed in the amount of reviews since I got like 14 for the first chapter, then 13 for the second chapter...and only 4 for the last one? Oh well, I guess some people just don't have the common courtesy to review.  
  
Disclaimer-I do not and never will own these characters  
  
Warnings-Angst, yaoi (Male/Male), Rape, general torturing of my favorite characters, Dark fic, swearing.   
  
An additional warning, you'll get to see different sides of characters.  
  
Pairings-Yami/Yugi, Seto/Jounouchi (Jou), possible Ryou/Bakura  
  
'Blah'-thoughts  
  
"Blah"-talking  
  
/blah/- Yugi to Yami, or Ryou to Bakura  
  
//blah//- Yami to Yugi or Bakura to Ryou  
  
Inertia  
  
'I am a slave to myself... to others, a slave to my memory which I wish was a clean slate. No one else should suffer through this besides me...what I wouldn't give to not feel anymore, to shut my mind down, to shut my body down. Is anything right in the world?'  
  
*~*  
  
"Yugi.... is gone Jou..." he whispered. "He's disappeared"  
  
Kaiba walked back into the room with a fluffy white towel in hand just in time to hear Yami's statement. The blonde teen gasped. "What do ya mean disappeared? He lives in the same house!". Seto moved over and placed a gentle hand on Jou's shoulder as if a silent signal to shut his mouth. He studied the ancient pharaoh carefully. Something wasn't right...in all their duels and arguments they had gotten into, he had never seen Yami look so forlorn or lost, like he had given up hope.  
  
"What happened Yami?" the brunette asked quietly after a few minutes of awkward silence. "Did you two have a fight or something?". The boy in question shook his head slowly.  
  
"No, nothing like that. Last night...Yugi delivered something for his grandpa...to a friend's house I think. And on the way back....he was...attacked by someone and they took a-a-dvantage of him" he explained in a hushed voice. The tears started to form behind his crimson eyes but he refused to let them fall. Instead, he concentrated his gaze on his hands, pale and shaking slightly on his lap. Jounouchi's face paled considerably as he glanced back at his boyfriend.  
  
"Yami...do you mean that Yugi was...raped?" Kaiba asked softly as though trying not to startle anyone. Yami nodded, not able to supply a verbal response. Jou let out a soft whimper and clutched Seto's hand. He couldn't believe that had happened to his best friend...not Yugi...he was too innocent to be put through that pain, and he knew from first hand experience what it was like.  
  
"By who?" Seto said, curious to know who exactly would pay for this terrible crime. He and Yugi weren't the best of friend's but he respected the young duelist champion.   
  
"Duke Devlin" the spirit murmured, voice sounding muffled, as the built up tears became too much and one rolled down his cheek, quickly followed by another. Seto cast another glance at his boyfriend.   
  
"Where's Yugi now?"  
  
"Dunno, he just ran away"  
  
The CEO handed the towel to Jounouchi. "Try and get him calmed down, I'm going to make some calls and go out and look, okay?" he whispered in the blonde's ear.   
  
"Seto! No! I don't want you to go! What if you get hurt too?" he pleaded softly, amber eyes wide with worry. Kaiba's lips slowly twitched into a smile.   
  
"Don't worry mutt, I'll be fine and I won't be alone" and with that said, he marched out of the room. Jou stood up and gently placed the towel around Yami's shoulders. He received no response what so ever.  
  
"Come on Yami, let's get you out of those wet clothes..."  
  
*~*  
  
"We're here little one" Ranger cooed, making Yugi open his eyes to find himself in a dingy alleyway surrounded by other men, looking and smelling exactly the same way as Ranger himself. The other men looked hungrily at Yugi, as though he were some delicacy to eat. "Guys, this is Yugi but he's mine!" A stranger approached, dragging a finger roughly over Yugi's cheek.   
  
"Aw, come on ranger, please share!" he practically pleaded. Ranger shook his head violently.  
  
"No way Ralph, Yugi is for Ranger only...he's the new prize and it's time to introduce him to some happy stuff" he declared stubbornly, setting the small boy down on his feet. Yugi swayed gently for a moment, trying to get his balance. Everything seemed backwards...so unreal.  
  
'Happy stuff?' he thought confusedly. 'I wonder what he means....'. He vaguely heard some scuffling nearby and let out a soft cry when he felt something pierce his arm. In an instant, Ranger was by his side.  
  
"It's okay little one, it'll only hurt for a moment" he said soothingly. "Soon, you'll feel like you're floating on cloud nine...". Yugi blinked several times as the sharp object was removed from his arm. He felt a little trickle of blood run down it and a rush of fiery substance flow down his veins.   
  
'What's going on?' he thought, suddenly feeling sleepy. Things swarmed in and out of focus and he felt himself swaying on his feet again. "Yami" he whispered through numb lips. "I'm sorry" and with that, Yugi's world went black.  
  
*~*  
  
Ryou yawned sleepily as he walked silently out of his bedroom, wearing nothing but his boxers. He stifled a huge yawn as he made his way down to the kitchen and opened the fridge door, pulling out a small bottle of fruit juice. Smiling slightly to himself of events that had just past; the white-haired boy sat down at the table, opening the bottle with a small 'popping' noise. 'Hmmm...I'm amazed Bakura is still sleeping' he thought, taking a small sip. 'Usually, I'm the first one to fall asleep...' He was jerked out of his pleasant thoughts though as the phone rang. Ryou quickly grabbed the cordless phone lying on the table before it could ring again, in case it woke up Bakura. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey Ryou, it's me Honda"  
  
"Hi Honda" the millennium ring holder said cheerfully. "What's new?"  
  
On the other line, the brunette fidgeted slightly, toying with the phone cord. "Listen, I can't really explain over the phone. Can you and Bakura get over to Kaiba and Joey's place pronto?"  
  
"Of course" Ryou replied, sounding slightly worried. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Yeah, something really bad. See you guys in 10" and with that, he hung up. The white-haired teen slowly put down the phone and stood up. Something was definitely wrong...way wrong. With a thoughtful frown on his face, he made his way back upstairs to wake up the ancient tomb robber.  
  
*~*  
  
Jounouchi sighed tiredly as he glanced over at Yami again who had fallen asleep on the couch. The blonde had managed to get the spirit into some dry clothes, but Yami still wasn't saying anything. It was almost as though the spirit was gone...off in another world, not exactly paying attention to the events happening around him. He chewed on his bottom lip slightly and glanced at his watch. 'Seto's been gone an awfully long time...I hope he's okay...' he thought worriedly. He cast another glance in his friend's direction and noticed that Yami was still crying silent tears, even as he slept. With a heavy heart, Jou got up and draped a soft fleece blanket over him. 'Yami...I know how much it hurts but you gotta hang in there...please'. His train of thought was broken, however, when the door to their apartment opened and closed softly and Jounouchi almost ran out to great the newcomer. He felt himself relax when he saw Kaiba's familiar blue eyes and brown hair. "I'm glad you're back" he whispered, blonde hair falling into his eyes.  
  
Seto smirked slightly and brushed the piece of hair away. "Told you I'd be fine, mutt" he replied softly. "How's Yami?"  
  
"Sleeping"  
  
Kaiba nodded. "Good. I made some calls and some other people should be here soon. We're going to go look for Yugi" he explained, leading his boyfriend to the kitchen. "Honda, Bakura, Ryou and Anzu should be arriving any minute now. I also have some of my men out looking". Jou smiled warmly.  
  
"You're the best Seto...I hope Yugi's all right though. I mean, what ever could have possessed him to run away like that?"  
  
"I don't know Jou, I just don't know"  
  
*~*  
  
Yugi blinked a few times as he slowly woke up. Things were so blurry...he couldn't even tell where he was. 'Ugh...I feel horrible' he thought, trying to shake his head clear, but this action just made him even more dizzy. 'Mental note...don't do that again'. His surroundings soon came into focus and he realized that he was lying in an alley...alone. 'Where's Ranger?' he thought fuzzily, struggling to sit up. When he finally accomplished this task, he found that he was still lightheaded. "What did Ranger give me?" he thought outloud. There was a funny feelings throughout his body, like he was as light as air and he couldn't help but feeling somewhat numb. "Wow...I don't really remember stuff now...whatever he gave me has answered my wishes...all I wanted to do was forget" Yugi mumbled, trying to find his balance as he stood up. Wobbling slightly, the violet eyed boy made his way back to the game shop, intent on sleeping for the remainder of the night.  
  
*~*  
  
Ryou and Bakura hurried down the street. "I still don't see what's so important" the spirit mumbled angrily. "I was having a nice sleep..."  
  
"I told you, something's wrong" his hikari insisted, looking stubborn as the entered the dark building, and stepped into the elevator. He hurriedly pushed the button that would take them to the fifth floor.  
  
"Jounouchi is just overreacting about something and that fool Hiroto joined in" Bakura spat out, run a hand through his disheveled white hair.  
  
"Well if you're so sure it's a joke, then why did you come?" Ryou retorted, starting to get a bit angry.   
  
"Hn, well, it was late and I didn't want you walking by yourself" he grumbled after a few minutes of complete silence. Ryou hide a small smile as the doors slide open. Walking rather quickly, he strode across the hall, followed by the spirit, and knocked on the door to apartment #8. After a few seconds, the door opened, revealing a worried blonde teenager.   
  
"Ryou, Bakura, come in" Jou said quietly, opening the door the whole way, revealing that Honda was also there, leaning against the wall. Anzu stood beside the tall brunette and Kaiba just came out of the kitchen. Ryou gave everyone a small smile and dragged his yami inside with him.  
  
"Now can you tell us what's wrong?" Honda asked, looking slightly impatient.   
  
"Yes, please do" the millennium ring holder agreed. "What's got everyone so worried?"  
  
Jounouchi's warm brown eyes darkened slightly. "Guys...Yugi's missing and we gotta find him". Several gasps of surprise could be heard around the room.  
  
"Missing? What do you mean missing?" Anzu cried, a horrified look on her face. Seto sighed tiredly.  
  
"He's gone, disappeared, vanished. The pharaoh is practically falling apart" he explained, looking very calm.  
  
This managed to surprise Bakura slightly, but his face still remained emotionless. //Hikari...it's true...the pharaoh is indeed very upset. Yugi is in trouble\\. A small frown appeared on Ryou's face.  
  
/We must go look for him Bakura, I don't care what you say. Yugi's one of my best friends\. "We should search in pairs" he announced to the rest of the group. "Just to make sure no one else gets hurt".  
  
"Agreed, I'll stay back here and make sure Yami's okay" Jou offered.   
  
"Good, I'll go with Honda then" Anzu insisted.  
  
"And I'll team up with my men that I have out there" Seto finished.  
  
"Good, we'll meet back here in 3 hours, whether we've found him or not" the blonde boy insisted. The others nodded and headed out the door, but Kaiba lingered behind for a moment.  
  
"Jou...I promise you that we will find him no matter what" he said quietly, looking totally serious. His boyfriend managed a small smile.  
  
"I know we will...but that's not going to be enough. Trust me on this one" Jounouchi whispered. "He's scared...and confused, there will still be a long battle ahead of him"  
  
Seto nodded before brushing his lips across Jou's. "See you in 3 hours" and with that, the CEO was gone out the door.  
  
TBC  
  
so, what do people think? Good or bad? Will Yugi be okay? Please review. Sorry for any mistakes, my beta reader hasn't gotten a chance to read this yet.  
  
Wishful Thinker 


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter of Inertia. It's been brought to my attention that some people don't like me mixing the Japanese names in with dubbed names. I do have a reason for that actually. That reason being that I don't know the Japanese names very well. I've only learned them from reading fics and it so happens that none of them included Duke or Ryuji Otogi. The only reason I know that now is because one of the reviewers (Cherior) left it in their review. If at anytime in this fic, I suddenly used a dubbed name, it's because I'm not used to their real names, since I only get the dubbed version of the show and it's just natural for me to use the dubbed names. I would like to apologize for anyone who dislikes the one dubbed name mixed in with the rest. I will try and use Ryuji Otogi from now on.  
  
Also, another thing has been brought to my attention: The fact that I don't update for long periods of time. On my bio, it says that I may not update for awhile because I need to do good in my classes so my parents won't make me stop writing all together, which wouldn't be a good thing at all. Well, my plans have changed slightly since I've been sick for almost a week now and haven't been able to get out of bed. I sincerely apologize for not having this up sooner. Now that all that's been said, let's move on to the chapter....  
  
Disclaimer-I do not and never will own these characters  
  
Warnings-Angst, yaoi (Male/Male), Rape, general torturing of my favorite characters, Dark fic, swearing.   
  
An additional warning, you'll get to see different sides of characters.  
  
Pairings-Yami/Yugi, Seto/Jounouchi (Jou), possible Ryou/Bakura  
  
'Blah'-thoughts  
  
"Blah"-talking  
  
/blah/- Yugi to Yami, or Ryou to Bakura  
  
//blah//- Yami to Yugi or Bakura to Ryou  
  
Inertia  
  
'Numbness coursing through my veins, this is what I want. No pain, no emotions, no feelings. All of them gone, disappeared without a trace. Me, just a simple little machine taking orders, that is what I am now, a used broken machine'  
  
*~*  
  
"Jou...I promise you that we will find him no matter what" he said quietly, looking totally serious. His boyfriend managed a small smile.  
  
"I know we will...but that's not going to be enough. Trust me on this one" Jounouchi whispered. "He's scared...and confused, there will still be a long battle ahead of him"  
  
Seto nodded before brushing his lips across Jou's. "See you in 3 hours" and with that, the CEO was gone out the door.  
  
*~*  
  
Jou stared at the TV, too lazy to actually get up and change the channel. He glanced over at Yami for the 3rd time inside of 5 minutes, but the pharaoh still slept. 'It's like he's trying us sleep as a shield. This must be pretty hard on him for Yugi to push him away like that, I mean, Yugi was the one that released him from the puzzle...' He heaved a mental sigh. 'Yami...you're not alone...I know how you feel pal...' Suddenly, the blonde's thoughts were interrupted by the quiet 'beep-beep' of his digital watch. "Hmmm, it's 10, the news should be on soon" he murmured, turning his focus away from Yami. The screen slowly faded away to black before a rather serious looking woman appeared with a small pile of papers on her desk.  
  
"Hello, I'm Connie Yamakzi and welcome to the ten o'clock news. Tonight, these are the topics we will be covering; a huge forest fire has started in the south of Japan, thousands are feared injured and hundreds are feared to be dead. Several car thefts have been reported in the downtown area: How to avoid becoming a victim. And we'll also provide an update on the famous creator of dungeon dice monsters, Ryuji Otogi right after this short break". Jou watched as the screen faded to black again before an annoying commercial popped up. Scowling, he pressed the mute button and glanced over at Yami again, quite surprised to see that the Pharaoh was awake.   
  
"Yami!" he exclaimed softly, moving to get up off the couch. "How are you feeling buddy?" Yami made a motion with his hand that insisted Jou sit back down.  
  
"Tired" he mumbled, rubbing his crimson eyes sleepily. "And where am I?"  
  
Jou sighed softly as he sunk back down on the couch. " You're at mine and Seto's apartment. Do you want to talk?" He asked softly, his normally cheerful appearance fading into concern for his friend.   
  
Yami sat up slowly, eyes fixed on the silent pictures that flashed across the T.V. screen, even though he wasn't really watching. His thoughts were centered on his small lover...they had to find Yugi soon. Even if the shorter teen didn't want to be with him, Yami made a promise to himself and to Yugi that he would make sure that the small duelist was safe.   
  
Jou frowned at Yami's lack of response and wondered slightly if the spirit of the puzzle had even heard his question. "Yami?" He repeated, smiling softly as crimson eyes turned towards him. "Do you want to talk?" He asked again.   
  
Yami sighed heavily, turning his gaze back on the screen. "No." he replied after a slight hesitation. Give me time. He thought to himself. I can't talk yet...I wouldn't know what to say, or how to say it. Yugi has never acted like this before...I miss him. Ra, I hope he's ok...  
  
For some reason, Jou didn't press the subject. 'I shouldn't force him to talk, not until he's ready' he thought determinedly, the smallest of frowns decorating his face. He then turned his attention back to the TV and hit the mute button again, letting the annoying theme music from the news fill the room. The anchorwoman then reappeared, clearing her throat discreetly.  
  
"Hello and welcome back to the 10 o'clock news. Ryuji Otogi is still in his critical state at Tokyo's General Hospital. Doctors are still uncertain whether he will ever wake up or not. In other news..." her voice was suddenly blocked out when Yami let out a loud sigh.   
  
"Jou...can you please turn that off?" he asked softly, feeling the hatred for Ryuji beginning to boil up again. The blonde nodded silently and clicked the power button once, sending the TV into darkness. Sighing again, the ancient pharaoh stood up and stretched silently. "I'm sorry for being an inconvenience, I'll go now," he announced, heading out of the room, but Jounouchi was closer to the doorway and quickly stood up and blocked Yami's exit.  
  
"I don't think so buddy. You're not going anywhere until the others get back" he declared looking stubborn. This statement confused Yami slightly.  
  
"Others? What others?"  
  
"Oh yeah!" Jou cried, hitting himself lightly on the side of the head. "You were asleep...Seto called everyone and they all went looking for Yugi". Seeing the worried look on Yami's face, Jou continued to explain. "Don't worry...they don't know why he's missing or what happened, and they're all in pairs for safety". Yami groaned silently. Why was this happening? Had he angered the gods in some way? Were they playing some sort of trick on him? Shaking these thoughts away, he tried to push past his friend.  
  
"Jounouchi, I want to go home to see if Yugi's back" Yami insisted, trying to push his way past his friend.  
  
"And I told you to wait until the others came back...they'll be here any minute!" Yami frowned as he thought about meeting the rest of his friends...he didn't want to be asked the questions that he didn't want to reveal answers too...he didn't want to be seen like this...pharaoh's did not cry, pharaohs did not fall apart because one person was missing...Just then, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the house and Seto Kaiba stepped inside. He glanced up to see the back of his lover blocking the doorway to the living room.  
  
"Jou...what are you doing?" he asked quietly, taking off his heavy black coat. The blonde turned around to smile at Seto.   
  
"Just making sure Yami wasn't going anywhere till you guys got...hey...where's everyone else?" he demanded, looking curious.  
  
"They went home. We couldn't find anything...not one trace" the CEO admitted softly. "Sorry Yami". The pharaoh merely adverted his gaze to the ground, staying silent. Sighing, Jounouchi moved out of the doorway to let Yami pass.  
  
"Here...I did promise ya that you could go home once the others got back" he replied, looking as though he was now regretting that promise. Still refusing to look at anyone, the spirit made his was past his 2 friends and quickly put on his damp shoes. He reached out for the doorknob then suddenly stopped.  
  
"Thank you Kaiba...Jou...If Yugi happens to come here...could you send him back home please?" he whispered, swallowing his pride once and for all. The 2 other duelists exchanged a look.  
  
"Of course we'll send him back there Yami. Don't worry about him so much. Yug's a tough kid" Jou said brightly, his voice full of false cheerfulness.  
  
'Yes...but I swore to protect him at all costs' Yami thought miserably before opening the door and leaving the apartment for good. Jounouchi let out a shaky breath before turning to look at Seto.  
  
"You found nothing out there? Nothing at all?" he asked, looking miserable. Kaiba shook his head slowly.  
  
"Not one trace of anything...Bakura and Ryou ran into some drunken men...I think a few of them are now in the shadow realm for trying to come onto Ryou...but that was it" Seto explained calmly. Jou couldn't help smiling slightly at the image of Bakura being over protective of Ryou.  
  
"We'll have to go check up on him tomorrow...k?" The corners of Kaiba's lips threatened to twitch into a smile.  
  
"Of course mutt, first thing in the morning"  
  
*~*  
  
Yami trudged down the dark street, dragging his feet as though he dreaded going back to that small, dark house by himself. 'Aibou...I hope that wherever you are...that you're safe' he thought worriedly, glancing up at the house. He nearly tripped over a crack in the sidewalk as he saw that the light was on in Yugi's bedroom. His hopes soared as he ran the rest of the distance and quickly opened the door, and bolted up the stairs to find Yugi just lying on his bed, looking at the ceiling. "Y-y-ugi" the spirit gasped, trying to catch his breath. 'Y-you're b-back..." After what seemed like an eternity, his smaller counterpart looked over at the doorway calmly.  
  
"Well, well. Look who came crawling back" Yugi said softly, with no emotion on his face or in his voice what so ever. "You want to chase me out of the house or something? Feel like your superior or something?" Yami was taken back at this tone of voice...it sounded like a totally different person.  
  
"Yugi...aibou...are you okay?" he asked quietly, taking a small step into the room. The small duelist laughed bitterly.  
  
"Am I okay? I'm better than okay" he spat out, sitting up on the bed, violet eyes wild; so unlike their normal innocent look. "Well...I was until YOU came here. Can't you leave me alone?" The pharaoh swallowed the pain Yugi's words were inflicting on him...it was like his hikari was tearing his soul to shreds.  
  
"Yugi...I..." he stammered, taking another step in the room. "What's wrong?" Yugi laughed again, a harsh sound that pierced Yami's eardrums.   
  
"What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong" Yugi said bitterly, standing up, wincing only slightly. "It's you! You won't stop bugging me, you won't accept me, you think I'm trash...I've got 3 words for you Yami...LEAVE ME ALONE!" the tri-colored haired boy screamed as he advanced on Yami.  
  
"I can't Yugi! Our souls our connected...you have no clue how much this hurts me" Yami practically pleaded with his aibou but it was no use. Yugi had shut him out completely. It seemed as though there was no emotion left inside Yugi except pain.  
  
"Yeah, well, maybe our souls shouldn't be connected anymore" he countered, grabbing the puzzle from his dresser. "It was nice knowing you Yami...I hope I DON'T see you around again!" and with that said, Yugi slammed the puzzle on the floor and Yami's world went black.  
  
TBC  
  
Uh...sorry it's so short...major writers block...hopefully next chapter will be up soon! Sorry for any mistakes, my beta reader (DoC) is still on vacation. Oh! And one part in this was written by her...lets see if anyone can find it...Please R&R!!  
  
Wishful Thinker 


	6. Chapter 6

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews! Here's the next chapter of Inertia!  
  
Disclaimer-I do not and never will own these characters Warnings-Angst, yaoi (Male/Male), Rape, general torturing of my favorite characters, Dark fic, swearing.  
  
An additional warning, you'll get to see different sides of characters. Pairings-Yami/Yugi, Seto/Jounouchi (Jou), possible Ryou/Bakura 'Blah'- thoughts "Blah"-talking /blah/- Yugi to Yami, or Ryou to Bakura //blah//- Yami to Yugi or Bakura to Ryou  
  
Inertia  
  
'I used to be whole...now I'm merely a half. I have half a life, half a mind, half a soul to ruin. I feel so empty, not complete anymore. Everything that he brought to me is gone...courage, confidence, and strength have left me for good...leaving me with nothing'  
  
*~*  
  
"I can't Yugi! Our souls our connected...you have no clue how much this hurts me" Yami practically pleaded with his aibou but it was no use. Yugi had shut him out completely. It seemed as though there was no emotion left inside Yugi except pain.  
  
"Yeah, well, maybe our souls shouldn't be connected anymore" he countered, grabbing the puzzle from his dresser. "It was nice knowing you Yami...I hope I DON'T see you around again!" and with that said, Yugi slammed the puzzle on the floor and Yami's world went black.  
  
*~*  
  
Sun pounded down on Yami's lifeless body as Yugi slowly woke up from his drug-hazed sleep. He groaned as the curtain shifted slightly in the soft breeze causing the sun to fall on him, making his head ache. 'What happened?' he thought fuzzily, noticing that his mouth seemed un cooperative this morning. 'Why do I feel so...empty?' A growing feeling of dread started to take over his stomach, and was followed up by nausea as his violet eyes opened against their own will to see a broken millennium puzzle on the ground beside the bed. "Yami?" he whispered, eyes widening. "Where are you? What have I done?!" The small boy rolled out of bed and hit the hard floor with a dull thump, causing the pounding sensation in his head to increase ten fold. Ever so slowly, Yugi managed to crawl over to the broken puzzle, wincing at the movement it took. 'What happened last night? My memory is all fuzzy.' No matter how hard he tried, nothing seemed to come to mind  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yami...but it took a moment for him to register the fact that the spirit wasn't moving...at all. Upon this realization, he gave a startled cry and lurched towards the lifeless form, ignoring the pain caused by his sudden movement. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he called out his lover's name...and received no response. Falling on top of the spirit, Yugi pressed his face to the inside of Yami's neck, his fingers clawing at an unmoving chest. His small body shook with the force of his sobs, the empty feeling inside of him growing with each passing second as memories of Yami's presence slowly faded behind closed eyelids.  
  
*~*  
  
Jou yawned sleepily, eyes not wanting to open yet as he basked in the comfyness of his large bed. A thin strip of sunlight danced through the curtains and onto the floor. He let out a soft noise of contentment, rolling over to encounter another warm body. "You've moved onto my side of the bed again" a deep voice grumbled near Jou's ear. The blonde opened his warm brown eyes, a sheepish grin on his face.  
  
"Oops?" he said, trying not to laugh at his boyfriend's disgruntled face. Said boyfriend sighed and sat up, obviously wide-awake.  
  
"Don't even think about laughing" Kaiba muttered, looking grumpy. "You do this every morning and every morning it's me who gets up first and you get to lounge around in bed some more". Jounouchi grinned brightly and squirmed across the bed till he reached Seto and latched his arms around the brunette's waist.  
  
"I'm really sorry and it will never happen again?"  
  
Seto sighed tiredly, shaking his head. "You are absolutely hopeless mutt. Now come on, we should go check on Yami today." Instantly, Jou sat up straight, an unusually serious look on his face.  
  
"You're right Seto. Let's go" he replied quietly, letting his 'happy go lucky' mask slip for a moment before getting up and heading into the bathroom. Kaiba blinked once, then a few more times. He had never seen Jounouchi...well...that sad before. Jou and sad just did not go in the same sentence.  
  
'I'll talk to him about it later' the CEO decided, un tangling his leg from the sheet and headed out to the kitchen to make breakfast.  
  
*~*  
  
Nearly an hour later, Yugi's stunned form hadn't moved from Yami's side. His body periodically shuddered spontaneously; tears occasionally seeping from behind firmly closed eyes. Breathing in shakily, the small teen forced himself to sit up, brushing fingertips across Yami's cold, lifeless face as the tears started up again. He had slowly remembered last night, and he couldn't figure out what had come over him. His argument with Yami...smashing the puzzle...*he* had been the one to do this to his dark, *he* was the one to blame. No wonder the spirit hated him...rejected him...didn't want him...he simply wasn't worthy.  
  
Choking back another sob, the tri-color haired teen turned his back on the unmoving body behind him, eyes landing on the scattered puzzle pieces. Quickly making up his mind, he gathered them together and started fitting them into their appropriate places.  
  
Even if his stronger side hated him, he should have a chance at living his life. Even if he left, no matter how much it hurt, Yugi owed him this much. Yami had changed his life...Yami had given him strength... even though he hadn't deserved it, the ancient spirit had given him everything he had. He would give it all back by replacing Yami's life, and then he would let the 5000 year old Pharaoh wander carelessly out his door and he could go back to Ranger. After all, without the spirit he was nothing...and so he would do nothing and let Ranger have his fun. His destiny would be nothing more.  
  
Piece by piece, the puzzle slowly began to reform again, bringing what little color Yami had had in his cheeks back. There was the sound of low raspy breathing and the pharaoh's chest moved up and down at a steady rate. Yugi swallowed hard as he placed the last piece where it belonged and quickly set it down on the ground, remembering what had happened last time. The golden pyramid began to glow brightly and spin around as though controlled by some un seen force. Taking a step back, Yugi held his breath and waited. After a few minutes, it had calmed down and just lay there on the floor. Let out a shaky breath, the small teenager approached the still spirit cautiously. Deciding that Yami wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, Yugi ran over to his dresser and began to take out various clothes (T- shirts, pants, boxers, sweaters, etc) and threw them into a backpack. He would not be coming back to this house...his house....there was no point. Yami would never forgive him...for letting himself be raped and for smashing the puzzle. Running to the bathroom, ignoring the pain for now, the millenium puzzle holder grabbed his toothbrush and a bottle of Tylenol and threw those into the bag also. On a whim, he bent down and brushed a soft kiss past Yami's warming lips. "I'm sorry" he whispered, a single tear falling down his cheek and onto Yami's. "I love you." Without a second look, the teen shouldered his bag and left the house, determined to go find Ranger.  
  
*~*  
  
The doctor sighed tiredly as he replaced a chart hanging at the end of Ryuji Otogi's bed. "No change" he murmured sadly, sending a look of pity at the motionless teenager. "And he had such a promising future." There was a soft knock at the door and the doctor glanced up to spot a petit blonde nurse holding a rather large file folder.  
  
"Excuse me sir, but his latest brain response test has just come back" she explained in a quiet voice. He nodded and motioned for her to come in. After taking the folder in his hands, he began to leaf through it.  
  
"It's such a pity to see such successful kids turning to drugs" he replied, looking extremely serious. "At such a young age too...but Ryuji looks like he might recover....given time of course". The young nurse nodded in agreement.  
  
"His brain is becoming more active....I wouldn't be surprised if he was awake any day now". The elderly man managed a small smile before handing the folder back to his associate.  
  
"I'll come by later on today. Let's see if we can get him a CAT scan for tomorrow, alright?" The blonde nodded, taking back the awkward brown folder.  
  
"Yes sir"  
  
He cast one final look at the game creator before heading out of the room. 'It's a shame to see great minds like that go to waste...it's even harder to listen to the younger people be optimistic. In this business...there's either hope for a good recovery...or none at all'.  
  
*~*  
  
Yugi timidly made his way through the dirty alleyways of downtown, hoping that he would find Ranger again. For some reason, that man made him feel....well....almost emotionless, which the young boy was welcoming these days. The sensations all around and inside him were just too much and he had to escape them! 'They will never catch up with me again!' he decided determinedly. All of a sudden, a hand shot out from behind a barrel.  
  
"Lookie what we got here" someone purred in a deep voice. "One little treasure walkin' around....askin' me to do as I please"  
  
TBC  
  
Again, sorry it's so short. I think this story might actually be finished in 2-3 chapter plus an epilogue. Again, some parts of this were written by DoC (bless her heart for getting me out of writers block and doing a better job than I could ever do). See if you can guess which ones! Anyways, HOPEFULLY be back with the next chapter soon! Read and Review!  
  
Samurai Butterfly 


	7. Chapter 7

Meh...next chapter...oh yeah...I don't really care what you think Ninja Chibi...I know my writing sucks but I like the plot line so there  
  
Duo's Only Chick: *points pitchfork at flamer in warning* (and no, SB, you writing does NOT suck. No matter what you say. So there. *nods*)  
  
Disclaimer-don't own  
  
Warnings-Angst, yaoi (Male/Male), Rape, general torturing of my favorite characters, Dark fic, swearing.  
  
An additional warning, you'll get to see different sides of characters.  
  
Pairings-Yami/Yugi, Seto/Jounouchi (Jou), possible Ryou/Bakura 'Blah'-thoughts "Blah"-talking /blah/- Yugi to Yami, or Ryou to Bakura //blah//- Yami to Yugi or Bakura to Ryou  
  
Inertia  
  
'The emptiness and pain inside me grows...will it never end? The scaring slashes in my pale skin slide ever closer to the visible veins in my wrist, ever deeper, ever longer...the more they hurt, the easier it is to forget the deeper pain...the real pain.'  
  
*~*  
  
Yugi timidly made his way through the dirty alleyways of downtown, hoping that he would find Ranger again. For some reason, that man made him feel...well...almost emotionless, which the young boy was welcoming these days. The sensations all around and inside of him were just too much and he had to escape them! 'They will never catch up with me again!' he decided determinedly. All of a sudden, a hand shot out from behind a barrel.  
  
"Lookie what we got here" someone purred in a deep voice. "One little treasure walkin' around...askin' me to do as I please". Yugi froze...that voice, it sounded like it could rid him of emotions as well...should he take the chance that this man would do the same magical thing Ranger could do?  
  
"Oh you'll get to do what you want," he replied in a voice that sounded like it didn't belong to that sweet, innocent body. It even surprised Yugi himself. "'Cept you gotta promise me one thing..." . You could practically see the drool running down the man's chin as he stepped out of the shadows.  
  
"Depends what it is....treasure" he drawled, trailing a dirt encrusted hand across the boy's pale cheek. Oh this was going to be so much fun...  
  
"Make it rough" Yugi hissed, pulling the man into a fierce kiss, thrusting his tongue into the foreign mouth, wincing at the sour after-taste of alcohol. "Use my body to the extreme..." he continued as he drew away, his voice sultry. The drool seemed to intensify as the man complied with a nod before snatching a cheap feel and literally dragging Yugi back towards his home in the alley. Someone like this did not come along everyday. The small tri-color haired boy let out a soft sigh. He hoped that this...lover would do as well as Ranger had done.  
  
*~*  
  
"Bakura, there was no need for you to send all those men to the shadow realm" Ryou chided softly as the pair walked down the street. Jou had called them earlier that morning and asked for them to check up on Yami. The spirit merely grunted.  
  
"They tried to get to you"  
  
"I can defend myself!" the hikari protested, trying his hardest to glare at his yami...needless to say, it wasn't working well.  
  
"Hn". Ryou rolled his eyes discretely as they continued down the strangely silent street.  
  
"Do you think that Yugi came home last night?" the white-haired teen asked softly a few minutes later. The worry was evident in his voice and Bakura winced inwardly, wanting to provide his hikari with somewhat of a reassuring answer...but just couldn't.  
  
"Probably not" he replied gruffly, stuffing his hands into his pocket and directing his hard brown eyes to the ground. He did not want to see the sorrowful look he *knew* was on Ryou's face. His hikari offered no reply to that comment as they approached the game shop and knocked on the door. He frowned slightly when he received no answer. Exchanging a look with Bakura, Ryou reached out and gently tried to open the door. To his surprise, it opened.  
  
"Yami?" the white-haired hikari called out.  
  
"I'm right here you idiot" Bakura grunted from behind him. Ryou frowned slightly.  
  
"I wasn't referring to you" he replied reproachfully. "I was talking to Yami...as in the pharaoh". Bakura grunted, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"Whatever..." Shaking his head slowly, Ryou made his way into the game shop, calling out Yami's name now and then. The nearly identical pair made their way up the stairs and towards the bedroom they knew Yami and Yugi shared. Swallowing his growing fear at the un-natural silence, the white-haired teen reached out and pushed open the half closed door and gasped. "Bakura...he's. ...he's....". Ryou couldn't bring himself to say that oh so final word...  
  
"Not dead" the tomb robber finished calmly after a few minutes of observation. "Just spiritually weak". Tears gathering in his warm chocolate brown eyes, Ryou glanced up at his yami. "Ryou...don't give me that look..."  
  
"Please yami!" the white-haired teen begged as more tears gathered in his wide eyes. "You can save him! I know you can!". The spirit grunted, desperately trying to tear his eyes away from his precious hikari and those Ra damned puppy dog eyes. He would refuse to bring the pharaoh back to life...not if all the gods and past pharaohs of Egypt begged him. However, the resolution willfully crumbled as he chanced a glance at Ryou...that could have perhaps been the biggest mistake of his life. Muttering a soft curse towards the now laughing gods, Bakura knelt down beside the motionless pharaoh and placed a hand on his chest.  
  
//Only for you hikari...//he grumbled, before thrusting some of his own energy into the almost lifeless Yami. //Only for you//  
  
*~*  
  
It was night...and the only way Yugi knew that was because the bar had gotten more crowded, rowdy and hot. Slick, sweaty bodies weaved in and out of crowds, brushing up against each other in time to the rhythm. As the beat of the music changed, so did the dancing. It became hotter...faster.... more erotic.... hell, Yugi was getting turned on by simply watching them. Faster and faster and faster, the people whirled around with Yugi stuck in the center, grinding against his growing erection...colors blurred together as he felt something prick his arm, his neck and his leg...the people swam before his eyes as he was bumped around. The small teen began to feel slightly nauseous as the music began to pound in his ears almost to the point where it was painful. Wincing, he stumbled out of the crowd, towards the back door. It felt as though there was a giant weight on his chest and that his pants were about 3 sizes too small.  
  
Yugi flopped down on the ground, gasping for air as his hand unconscious found it's way towards the hard bulge in his groin. His hand seemed to have a mind of it's own as it quickly undid the zipper, allowing his erection to spring free. His surroundings soon became hazy as the pleasure increased, his hand alternating between squeezing and caressing the hard length. He let out a rough moan from the back of his throat...this felt so fucking good.... he was able to forget about the pain...the rejection...the nauseating feeling that scurried throughout his petit body. He wanted to stay on that pleasure cloud all day so that his problems would disappear and he could simply live in this euphoria.  
  
However, all good things must come to an end...and Yugi's end came far too soon for his liking. After a particularly rough squeeze, he felt himself lose all control as he went over the edge, spilling his sticky essence over his hand and the pavement underneath him. When the afterglow of his first masturbation session wore off...the feelings of despair, loneliness, longing, and worst of all...pain came rushing back, hitting the tri-color haired teen with the force of a brick wall. With tears streaming down his pale cheeks, Yugi reached out to find whatever object was nearby...he needed to feel like he was in control again...he needed to feel like he was still alive. His small, sticky, shaking hand grasped onto a piece of a broken beer bottle that was lying in a pile of trash beside him. He hissed slightly as he sliced his finger, but ignored it and went on, thoughtlessly brining it up to his skinny wrist. The razor-sharp glass pressed against his pale skin, and he trailed it across, forming a shallow, horizontal cut across a wiry blue vein.  
  
'It's not deep...' he thought numbly as he watched the blood trickle down his arm...the pain had still not disappeared...he needed more control.... Taking the shard again, he dug deeper into the skin. The blood began to flow faster...yet still...it was not enough. Again and again, Yugi drove the broken piece of glass over the cut, continually making it deeper each time until he began to feel numb. This was the numbness he craved...the numbness he needed...and now, it was the numbness he could create. Satisfied with his work, Yugi decided to get some sleep. He slowly laid his head down on the concrete, crimson liquid still streaming from his cut as he drifted off to a drug induced sleep...hoping that when he'd wake up...that little bit of control he gained would still be there.  
  
*~*  
  
"Thanks for coming over" Ryou said softly to the two newcomers at the door. "He's upstairs...we...well...I thought that he shouldn't be alone in this condition". Jou nodded, a sympathetic smile gracing his tired face. From behind, Seto merely grunted as the trio headed up the stairs towards Yugi's bedroom. "I feel as I should warn you though..."  
  
"Warn us about what?" Jounouchi asked curiously as they entered the dimly lit room. His honey colored eyes had to search around for a moment in order to find exactly where Yami was.  
  
"Baka" Bakura grunted from behind the three in the doorway. "He's on the bed". Trying not to roll his eyes, Jou transferred his gaze to the bed and let out a soft gasp. No wonder he hadn't seen Yami before, as the pharaoh's skin was nearly the same shade as the ivory sheets he was on.  
  
"Gods..." Seto murmured from behind, placing a comforting hand on his boyfriend's shoulder, sensing that the mutt was upset by Yami's appearance. "He's not...dead, is he?" Ryou quickly shook his head.  
  
"No, just drained. Bakura gave him some energy but really, it's going to be up to him on how fast he recovers" the white-haired hikari explained in a quiet voice. "Would you mind terribly if he stayed at your apartment for a bit? I would offer ours, except, Bakura...well...you know". The blonde nodded knowingly while the brunette merely grunted again. "So if everything is okay, we'll leave now..." Receiving no answer to that, the hikari and yami decided to leave the room before the other pair decided to back out. Silently, they slipped past them, out of the room, down the stairs and out of the game shop, intent on going back to their house for a long rest.  
  
Jou glanced over at the CEO a few minutes later. "Well?" he whispered. "Can we?" Seto let out tired sigh as he strode over to the bed and picked up the nearly lifeless spirit.  
  
"Only for you mutt...only for you"  
  
*~*  
  
Bright light from a broken window streamed down on a motionless boy in a scuffed up bed. Said boy let out a low moan as he brought one arm to itch the white gauze that was wrapped around his wrist. "Be still my love," a hoarse voice murmured as it came out from the shadows. "I will give you something to help with the pain..." The person removed a small, full syringe from his holey coat pocket and carefully...almost lovingly injected the contents in Yugi's small arm. "Be still love...it'll go to work soon" he repeated, stroking Yugi's pale cheek with a gentle hand. "And once you wake up...we'll have some fun. Ranger so loves when you come to visit him..."  
  
*~*  
  
2 weeks had passed...two long agonizing weeks, as they had received no word from Yugi what so ever. They had forced Yami out of bed a few days ago because Jou had insisted that doing something would help... Every time Yugi's name was mentioned, Jou's amber colored eyes began to water unnaturally while Yami's crimson ones become cold and hard and he also conveniently excused himself from the room until the conversation had moved on to a new subject. Even Kaiba was beginning to show some signs of compassion when the name was mentioned...but again, that could have been because Jou was so upset. Currently, Jou was sitting on the couch with Yami, who was staring blankly at the television. The show flicked off to a commercial for the noon hour news.  
  
"And on the noon news today, we'll give you an update on how the famous Ryuji Otogi is doing. Also, we'll have some more news from southern Japan where the forest fires are still raging. All this and more at noon with Connie Yamakzi". Yami scowled softly before standing up and stalking out of the room. His blonde friend let out a tired sigh. He knew it was pointless to go after him...he knew that Yami was becoming more depressed...but what else could they do? With no word on Yugi and Sugoroku returning home in 4 weeks...how could anyone not be depressed?  
  
'I thought I was all done with these feelings...' Jounouchi thought numbly as he automatically turned off the television: something he had got in the habit of doing every time there was news about Duke. 'I...wanted to be left alone by them...I beat them already! I shouldn't have to deal with them anymore...'  
  
*~* Same night *~*  
  
"Go get'm" Ranger whispered into the small boy's ear as he ran a careless hand over the teen's hip. "Knock 'em dead like Ranger told you to...but don't forget to come back to Ranger now...Ranger can make the pain go away..." Yugi nodded, a determined look on his face as he adjusted his new leather outfit that Ranger's provider had mysteriously produced. He now had a new leather vest with many shiny silver zippers and buttons along with a pair of tight leather pants that could put Yami's to shame. It was topped off with a diamond encrusted leather collar with a diamond-coated leash attached to it and a pair of flashy black boots with a small heel.  
  
'This...this is my destiny' the young duelist thought firmly. 'I have been born to do this and I can do it well'. Taking a deep breath, the tri-color haired boy made his way down the stairs, plastering an alluring smile on his sweet, innocent face. 'Come and get me boys' he thought as he passed several regulars whose eyes were practically glued to his crotch and tight ass. 'You won't be disappointed'  
  
*~* One week later...*~*  
  
Yugi let out a shaky breath as Ranger withdrew the needle from his upper arm. He could feel the much need liquid rushing through his body, creating a numb sensation that he craved...it created...no...gave him the control he needed. "You like that?" Ranger whispered, roughly pressing his filthy lips to Yugi's. "Cause Ranger likes watching you...' The brunette quickly filled up the same syringe with more liquid from an unmarked glass bottle and injected it into his own arm.  
  
"Oh yeah.... Ranger likes that..." he purred, carefully removing the needle and placing it on the dresser. "Now come give Ranger some love before you go to work...". Obediently, Yugi crawled over to his protector and gently slipped Ranger's pants down to his ankles. Licking his lips, he carefully lowered his mouth on the brunette's hard shaft and began to suckle it fondly, like a baby calf would do to get it's mothers milk.  
  
*~*3 weeks later *~*  
  
"Come for me..." one of Yugi's clients hissed into his ear as he pounded ruthlessly into the small boy. "Come for me bitch...". Yugi let out a ragged moan as his body felt as though it was being torn in two. A few more thrust later and the client shot his seed into the teen before flopping back down on the bed. "Shit..." he replied through ragged breaths. "That was....fuckin'...amazing..."  
  
"Glad you liked it" Yugi fairly purred, hoisting himself off the bed with barely a wince and crawling over to his client. "I'll be taking my payment now if you don't mind..." Deciding to save his breath to breathe, the man tumbled off of the bed and grabbed at his pants. Reaching in, he pulled out a fistful of 50-dollar bills then tossed them towards his new 'friend'. Yugi's eyes widened greatly.  
  
"But...the price is only $200" he protested weakly. His client shrugged as he proceeded to get dressed back in to his suit.  
  
"So I gave you a bit extra...it was worth it," he replied with a small wink as he threw his tie over his shoulder. "Later...aibou..." With that said, the businessman picked up his suit jacket at the door and left the room. Yugi simply sat there, completely stunned. Aibou...aibou...where had he heard that before? It sounded so familiar...it sounded warm...loving...like a word one lover would say to the other...but he had never had anyone...had he? Where did he get aibou from? He had suggested it for his code name...but Yugi still had no idea. Shaking the foggy memories out of his head, Yugi got up off the bed and quickly dressed. The night was still young which meant plenty more customers for him.  
  
*~* One week later *~*  
  
A lanky ebony-haired man downed the last of his nightly drink at his favorite bar. Gods...when had he started to have nightly drinks? Oh yeah...when he had started to work at Kaiba Corp ....god damnit...it was because of the frigid bastard...otherwise known as his boss, a.k.a. Seto Kaiba that he had started to drink daily and lately...Kaiba was even more of a bastard than usual all because of some spiky haired kid. Oh well.... not much you can do about it...and it was good money.  
  
He glanced down at this watch and cursed silently. It was time to go home to the wife and kids. On his way out, the worker took one last look around the bar, his eyes landing on who appeared to be a newcomer. After a few seconds of staring at this young boy, his cloudy blue eyes widened drastically. This was the boy that Kaiba was looking for! This was the kid! His eyes never left the leather-clad teen as he whipped out his cell phone and dialed the office...with any luck...the boss would still be there and he would get a big fat promotion...  
  
*~*  
  
Jou nervously glanced down at his watch again. It was past 7.... Seto always called when he was going to be late.... Maybe something had happened to him as well.... There was a soft creak from the other side of the room that made the blonde jump nearly a foot in the air. Gods...he was jumpy...if this kept up, Seto would begin to figure out that something was bothering him and Jou did not want to answer any question concerning *that* subject as it was most definitely a bad subject. Jounouchi jumped again as he heard another click from the front of the apartment. But this time...it was a good click as it was the sound the door being opened...which meant that Seto was home.  
  
"Hey moneybags" he called out in what he hoped was a neutral voice. "You're late". He waited a few minutes...the frowned. Whenever he said 'hey moneybags' comment, Kaiba always replied with a 'hey mutt' comment in retaliation. "Kaiba?" he called out. "You there?" Receiving no answer, Jou got up and made his way out to the front entrance, his frown deepening every step of the way. It was indeed his lover that had come home...and currently, this lover was simply staring at the wall, his ice blue eyes containing some sort of emotion in them for once. "Seto?" The brunette finally chanced a glance at the blonde.  
  
"I...found him Jou" he replied after a few minutes of awkward silence. "I found Yugi". Jounouchi let out a gasp of disbelief.  
  
"You're kidding...right?"  
  
"No...one of my co-workers spotted him...and I don't know how we're going to get him back..."  
  
"We'll get him back," a new voice said from the end of the hallway. Jou glanced up, surprised to see some sort of intensity in Yami's eyes...they had been dead for so long now... "Where is he Kaiba?" The CEO swallowed heavily...this was the first time in his life that he was actually nervous about saying something...  
  
"He's at various bars" the brunette replied finally. "For 4 weeks now, he's been selling his body...he's a master in the art of prostitution."  
  
*~*  
  
Sugoroku struggled with his two suitcases as he tried to knock at the door again. 'Where are those two boys?' he thought with a small frown before setting down one bag down on the fairly dirty step before trying to dig his key out of his pocket. 'I thought I had told them to sweep the steps everyday as well...' Sighing, he finally found his key and unlocked the door. Gently nudging it open with his foot, Yugi's grandpa picked up the suitcase he had set down and made his way into the dark game shop. "Yugi? Yami? Where are you boys?"  
  
Receiving no answer, he set down his bags and ventured further into the house. He wandered into the kitchen to find that there was no note on the counter. Frown deepening, Sugoroku reached for the phone and dialed Jou's number. One ring...two rings...three rings passed before someone finally picked up. "Hello? Jounouchi?"  
  
Jou's amber eyes widened drastically and he swore mentally. "Yeah...how's it goin' gramps?" he asked, trying to keep his voice light.  
  
"I just got back from my trip and I was wondering if my grandson and Yami are over there" the elderly man replied calmly. "And if they are over there...could you send them home? It is getting late and I know that the streets aren't exactly all that safe now". Jou swallowed heavily. How the hell was he supposed to answer that with telling the poor man that his grandson was now a druggie who satisfied lonely men and women? There was a small click across the line. "Oh...hold on Jou, I've got another call coming in...". The blonde let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"KAIBA! GET YER ASS OUT HERE!" he bellowed, holding a hand over the mouthpiece of the phone in case Yugi's grandpa came back on the line. The CEO strolled out of the living room where he had been trying to control Yami from running down to the bar. "What's the problem Katsuya?"  
  
"Yugi's gramps is on the phone"  
  
"Shit...."  
  
"My words exactly" he replied grimly as he listened for a person to come back online. A few seconds later, Sugoroku came back and Jou waved his hand; a sign for Seto to be quiet.  
  
"Jou..." the man replied in an odd voice. "That was the hospital that just called....Yugi's in the hospital...". He paused for a moment, clearing his throat of unshed tears. "He's in a coma...they're not sure if he'll wake up...."  
  
*~*  
  
Whew....that one was hell of a long chapter....and the scary part is that it could have been longer....and it might be longer...I'm not sure if I like the style that I wrote it in...so it might change...but I want to get this one up for now....please review?? I'll try to be faster with my updates...I'll really try...Thanks to DoC for beta reading this! Btw, go check out her new fic called Seduction of Ice....it has a Yami/Seto pairing *drools*  
  
Samurai Butterfly 


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for all the reviews guys...I really appreciate all of them....  
  
Maoz-except for Ninja Chibi...we don't like them very much  
  
Agreed...but hey, if they want to flame, so be it...the story is almost finished anyways. This is the last chapter...  
  
Maoz-not counting the epilogue of course  
  
Of course...anywho, on with the story!  
  
Disclaimer-don't own  
  
Warnings-Angst, yaoi (Male/Male), Rape, general torturing of my favorite characters, Dark fic, swearing.  
  
An additional warning, you'll get to see different sides of characters.  
  
Pairings-Yami/Yugi, Seto/Jounouchi (Jou), possible Ryou/Bakura 'Blah'-thoughts "Blah"-talking /blah/- Yugi to Yami, or Ryou to Bakura //blah//- Yami to Yugi or Bakura to Ryou  
  
This chapter is dedicated to my best friend in the whole world, Telpei (DoC)  
  
Inertia  
  
'I am falling; spiraling downwards into the deepest abyss possible. I want to feel no pain...no guilt...no nothing...though, I want this life...I deserve this life. I cannot bring pleasure to myself...but that does not mean others must suffer because of me. I am a machine...a toy...something people can use and abuse then throw away so others can have their turn. I do not see light anymore...all I can see is the darkness...the wonderful darkness that will release me from this world and take my soul to universes unknown...there is no more hope...'  
  
*~*  
  
Sugoroku struggled with his two suitcases as he tried to knock at the door again. 'Where are those two boys?' he thought with a small frown before setting down one bag down on the fairly dirty step before trying to dig his key out of his pocket. 'I thought I had told them to sweep the steps everyday as well...' Sighing, he finally found his key and unlocked the door. Gently nudging it open with his foot, Yugi's grandpa picked up the suitcase he had set down and made his way into the dark game shop. "Yugi? Yami? Where are you boys?"  
  
Receiving no answer, he set down his bags and ventured further into the house. He wandered into the kitchen to find that there was no note on the counter. Frown deepening, Sugoroku reached for the phone and dialed Jou's number. One ring...two rings...three rings passed before someone finally picked up. "Hello? Jounouchi?"  
  
Jou's amber eyes widened drastically and he swore mentally. "Yeah...how's it goin' gramps?" he asked, trying to keep his voice light.  
  
"I just got back from my trip and I was wondering if my grandson and Yami are over there" the elderly man replied calmly. "And if they are over there...could you send them home? It is getting late and I know that the streets aren't exactly all that safe now". Jou swallowed heavily. How the hell was he supposed to answer that with telling the poor man that his grandson was now a druggie who satisfied lonely men and women? There was a small click across the line. "Oh...hold on Jou, I've got another call coming in...". The blonde let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"KAIBA! GET YER ASS OUT HERE!" he bellowed, holding a hand over the mouthpiece of the phone in case Yugi's grandpa came back on the line. The CEO strolled out of the living room where he had been trying to control Yami from running down to the bar.  
  
"What's the problem Katsuya?"  
  
"Yugi's gramps is on the phone"  
  
"Shit...."  
  
"My thoughts exactly" he replied grimly as he listened for a person to come back online. A few seconds later, Sugoroku came back and Jou waved his hand; a sign for Seto to be quiet.  
  
"Jou..." the man replied in an odd voice. "That was the hospital that just called....Yugi's in the hospital...". He paused for a moment, clearing his throat of unshed tears. "He's in a coma...they're not sure if he'll wake up...." On the other side of the phone, Jou froze, unable to believe what Sugoroku had just said. His best friend...in the hospital...in a coma. When had his world started to fall apart so drastically? Why had he lost all the control he had worked so damn hard to get?  
  
"We'll...we'll meet you there, okay Gramps?" he finally managed to get out a few minutes later, though, his voice sounded unusually hollow.  
  
"Okay" the elderly man replied softly. "It's Domino general...please call the others."  
  
"Sure Gramps...just hang in there. Everything will be fine" the blonde replied in a shaky voice before hanging up and turning around to face the brunette.  
  
"Jounouchi?" Seto asked, his voice unnaturally soft. "What's going on?"  
  
"I'll tell you what's going on," a cold voice growled from the doorway. "Yugi is in the hospital and you are going to take me there. Now." Jounouchi glanced over to see an extremely angry pharaoh standing there, the sennen eye glowing brightly on his forehead. He wasn't counting on the fact that Yami heard the whole conversation.  
  
"Don't order us around pharaoh" Kaiba sneered, wrapping an arm around Jou's trembling shoulders and pulling the blonde closer to him. Yami frowned slightly before taking a step forward, eye glowing even brighter.  
  
"Don't talk like that to me Kaiba" he grounded our, crimson eyes narrowing dangerously. "My hikari is slipping away from me as we speak and I want to go talk some Ra damn sense into him!"  
  
"Calm down Yami...we're going to see him anyways" Jou replied in what he hoped was a normal voice. The glares' intensity lessened slightly.  
  
"Good, then let's go" he replied coldly before stalking out of the kitchen. Sighing heavily, Jou moved to follow him before cursing loudly and whacking his head against his hand.  
  
"Shit...I promised I'd call the others," he moaned, dreading another confrontation with Yami. His boyfriend merely rolled his eyes and gently pulled his lover towards the door.  
  
"There are such things are cell phones mutt...and besides, we can't keep the all mighty pharaoh waiting now..." the brunette murmured before placing a soft kiss on the outer shell of Jounouchi's ear. "Let's just get the hospital and figure things out from there." Jou nodded slowly. It was times like these that he was glad for Seto's logical thinking and comforting presence.  
  
*~*  
  
'Hospitals really need to invest in more comfortable chairs...' Jou though aimlessly as the hour hand of the huge clock on the wall slowly slid to the 12...they had been waiting over 6 hours with little news. His amber eyes skirted to the side to cast a glare to the guard at the door. Only Sugoroku was allowed in to see his grandson while the rest of them had to wait outside with very little hope that Yugi would actually survive through the rest of the night.  
  
His eyes moved away from the guard to scan the room. Originally, everyone had been alert and sitting up straight, eyes glued to the big double doors that led into places unknown...the place where their friend was. Now, after six Ra damn hours of waiting, they had spread out slightly. Bakura was sitting on one of the chairs, hard brown eyes half closed, though still alert. His hand gently stroked the soft white hair of his hikari whose head lay in his lap as Ryou had opted to lie across several chairs, hoping to find a more comfortable position. Anzu had gracefully tucked her legs up underneath her and appeared to be murmuring a silent prayer for her friend. Honey colored orbs then landed on Honda had spread himself over 5 chairs and had his eyes glued to the small TV high up in the corner. The blonde teen slowly turned his head to study his boyfriend who was sitting beside him, ice blue eyes focused on an imaginary spot on the opposite wall.  
  
"Seto?" he whispered, glancing up at the brunette. "Do...do you think everything will be okay?" The CEO nodded automatically; an action he had learned to do. His own eyes traveled over to the pharaoh who was leaning against the wall next to the big double doors. Everything had to be okay...Seto had never seen Jou act like this and he wasn't exactly sure how to help the blonde cope, as it had never been his strong suit to help other people out. Just as he was about to reply verbally to the blonde, the big double doors swung open, giving Yami just the chance he needed to slip inside unnoticed as Sugoroku and a doctor emerged to confront the small group of teens.  
  
After having a few soft words with the doctor, Sugoroku nodded softly and approached his grandson's friends while the doctor went off into another part of the hospital. The arrival of the elderly man startled the teens out of their stupor as they call began to crowd around him...well...all that is except for Bakura and Kaiba. They kept their distance from the group.  
  
"Is Yugi okay?" Anzu asked, voicing the question that everyone had in his or her minds. Grandpa just sighed and motioned for everyone to sit down.  
  
"There's no new news since the last time I came out to talk to you" he replied gently. "But...the doctor needs to know what happened to Yugi...and I do mean everything..." The group of friends glanced around at each other, each of them with an equally guilty look on his or her face.  
  
"We only know bits and pieces of it Mr. Mutou" Ryou admitted softly. Jounouchi nodded in agreement.  
  
"I know about ¾...but Yami is the one who would know it all..." the blonde student replied honestly. There was a soft snort from the other side of the room.  
  
"Fools" the former tomb robber grumbled under his breath as he focused his hard brown eyes on them. "If you wanted to know the whole story you could have just asked me." His hikari turned around, wide eyed, to stare at his yami.  
  
"And you couldn't have told us this before hand Kura?" he asked, trying to sound angry. "It could have helped out a lot!" The white-haired spirit merely shrugged and walked over to where the others had gathered.  
  
"You didn't ask"  
  
/yami...how do you know? / Ryou asked mentally, a hint of curiosity in his voice.  
  
//When I was reviving the Ra damn pharaoh...against my will I might add // the spirit grunted. //I got a huge chunk of his memories from the past month or so //  
  
"Please tell us Bakura..." Mr. Mutou murmured softly. "The doctors need to know..." Sighing mentally, Bakura sat down, still keeping a few chairs between him and the group.  
  
"A little over a month ago...Yugi was raped by Otogi and needless to say...he didn't handle it well. After nearly killing Yami, he ran and decided to take refuge with drugs...prostitution...he's been missing for about 4 weeks now" Bakura replied, keeping his voice neutral. "And I'm guessing that he's not stranger to pain at the moment." Sugoroku's face paled considerably but he said nothing, as he could not think of anything to say. His grandson...raped...and he never even knew until over a month after it happened. What kind of caretaker was he if he couldn't even see that his own grandson was in so much pain? Did he even deserve to offer comfort to Yugi now?  
  
*~*  
  
Crimson eyes flashed dangerously as Yami entered the dark hospital room and sat down beside the bed, staring at the small, fragile body that lay there hooked up to various machines. 'You are not allowed die aibou' the pharaoh thought firmly as grasped Yugi's small pale hand in his before closing his eyes against the scene before him. 'I will not allow it and the pharaoh's word is law.' Grasping the newly completed puzzle in the other hand, Yami let his mind slip inside it. He gave himself a moment to adjust, as he had not done this for a long time. After a few moments, Yami opened his eyes again, blinking at the darkness. It had never been quite this dark before...as he continued down the narrow hallway, his sharp eyes picked up new hieroglyphs that hadn't been there before. The tri-color haired teen stopped to run a hand over one.  
  
"This is pain," he murmured after a few moments. "And this one...death..." The pharaoh ran his hand over another part of the smooth wall. 'And this...this means not able to be loved...cursed' he thought sadly before tearing himself away from them. Yugi had unconsciously created them and if they had affected the hallways of his mind, he was afraid to see what the small boy's soul room would look like now. Swallowing his fear, he continued walking until he reached the two doors farther down the hall. He glanced at his own, sighing at the padlocks and chains that kept anyone from opening it. It truly wasn't his fault that it was like that...his own subconscious created the barriers. Yami then looked over at Yugi's, grimacing mentally as he took in the new black décor decorating the hikari's soul room. This wasn't right...his light should not be feeling this kind of pain...no one should feel this kind of pain. Taking a deep breath, Yami slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside, hoping to find Yugi still willing to live. He took a few steps into the darkness as his heart began to beat furiously. "Aibou?" he called out softly. "Are you here?"  
  
"Don't call me that," a cold voice muttered from somewhere in the darkness. The pharaoh stopped walking as he tried to judge exactly where the voice was coming from.  
  
"Then what do I call you? My hikari?" There was a bitter laugh from somewhere in the shadowed room.  
  
"Hikari...don't make me laugh...that name has no meaning anymore. There is no light left in this body..." The tri-color haired spirit took a step towards where he thought the voice was coming from.  
  
"Little one?" He received another hard laugh.  
  
"Another innocent name...how predictable of you" Yugi replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"Yugi then...it is your name after all" Yami said quietly, now more confident as to where Yugi was in the room.  
  
"If you must call me something..." he relented a few minutes later. "But I don't see why...I'll be gone soon and there's nothing you can do about it"  
  
"The doctors are going to save you" Yami replied calmly. "You're going to live." Again, a harsh, cold laugh echoed throughout the room.  
  
"Perhaps I should shed some *light* on the situation..." he said quietly. There was a soft handclap and as if by magic, a low light filled the room. His crimson eyes blinked rapidly, trying to get used to the change of lighting. Once they had adjusted, the pharaoh struggled to hold back a gasp of surprise. Yugi was sitting on the bed, cross-legged and leaning against the wall. His normal bright violet eyes were narrowed and had lost their usual sparkle. In one hand, he held a piece of glass that had dried blood around the edges. But what was really un nerving about this whole situation was that Yugi was caressing the pale skin of his other arm with the sharp piece, though, Yugi was not putting enough pressure on the glass to break the skin underneath it. "What's the matter protector?" he asked smugly. "See something you don't like?"  
  
"Stop this Yugi."  
  
"Stop what Yami?"  
  
"You know what I mean..." The pharaoh suppressed a soft shudder that ran through his body as Yugi's cold, heartless laugh vibrated off the walls of the soul room.  
  
"I'm afraid I don't Yami...please explain." Frowning slightly, he took a step forward.  
  
"This isn't the Yugi I know...this isn't the Yugi I love" he replied quietly, eyes softening slightly. "Come back to me aibou...my hikari..." This time, Yami could not hold back a wince as Yugi continued to laugh. "Stop that...it's not you...aibou...I'm terribly sorry for what has happened to you...but I can still help if you will let me. We can work through this together." The petit tri color haired boy simply stared at his darker half, a small smirk on his face as he slowly got up from the bed. By doing this. Yami could see just how thin Yugi had become...by Ra...his hikari looked ever younger than he did before.  
  
"Who says I want to work through this? And you can't love me" he replied stubbornly before setting the bloodstained piece of glass down on the bed and taking a step forward. "I am cursed, I am unlovable...I just want to leave this world before I taint it anymore."  
  
"Are you sure that's what you want my hikari?" the pharaoh murmured softly, a sad look entering his piercing crimson eyes. Yugi nodded firmly before crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"Yes...it's for the best...I can't be healed and I don't want to feel anymore pain...and don't call me that! I am no hikari...I am darkness!"  
  
"I'm afraid I can not let you go without a fight aibou...I challenge you to a shadow game...you should be familiar with them by now. If I win, you must stay...and if you win, you may leave this world and I won't try to stop you," Yami explained while try to keep his voice steady though his heart was racing. A couple of years ago, he had taught Yugi how to play shadow games and like any other game, his light had picked up on it very fast. However, Yami was counting on the fact that part of the old Yugi was still alive...the old Yugi *hated* playing shadow games with a passion stronger than Ra himself. The ancient spirit was jolted out of his thoughts by a comment that made his heart sink down to the floor.  
  
"I accept." Yugi said, narrowing his cold violet eyes. "I accept your challenge."  
  
*~*  
  
A gaunt, raven-haired boy let out a soft moan as bright lights invaded his silent cocoon of darkness. He felt...no...there were no words in the English language to describe how awful he felt. He heard some vague voices through the fog that inhabited his mind and was tempted to turn away from them like he had been doing for a while. However, this time seemed different than the last. He recognized these voices from before...and that he should go towards them this time though it was hard. The teen felt as through he was swimming through Jell-O...why was this so hard to do? Still, he kept on. The lights seemed to get brighter as the raven-haired boy neared the wall of his sanctuary. After what seemed like hours, he had finally reached the barrier separating him from reality. With a quiet grunt, the teen pushed a hand through, followed by another and eventually managed to squeeze his whole body through. He let out a soft groan as his mind re-entered his physical body and all the pain came flooding back. From somewhere in the room, he heard someone gasp loudly.  
  
"Doctor! He's waking up!" a female voice exclaimed. Otogi tried to open his mouth to speak, but found that his body didn't seem to be obeying his commands. With great effort, he got his eyes open to find himself looking at a person who appeared to be a doctor. He uttered another groan of pain as said doctor shined a small flashlight in his emerald green eyes.  
  
"Welcome back Ryuji Otogi" he said, moving to check the other eye. You had us scared for a while...it would be better if you didn't try to talk at the moment. We've had a tube down your throat for a bit so that you could be feed without us sticking needles in you all the time. It'll be taken out in a few days once you start moving around a bit more. Do you know who are you?" Otogi slowly nodded, wincing as the pain shot through his body. Gods...what had he done to be in this much pain?  
  
"Do you know why you're here?" the nurse asked in a more gentle voice. To this comment, he shook his head. The two medical personal exchanged a knowing glance before focusing their attention back on their patient as the nurse moved to the foot of the bed and placed a hand on his foot. The raven- haired teen let out a hiss of pain at the gentle touch. "Push against my hand Otogi..." The game creator tried. He told his muscles to move...but they simply didn't listen. He glanced up at the doctor with a pleading look in his eyes.  
  
'What the hell has happened to me?' he asked silently as the worry began to grow. 'What are you not telling me?'  
  
*~*  
  
"So Yami, what game are we playing today? Duel monsters? Riddles?" Yugi asked curiously as the shadow realm slowly crept up from the floor around them and eventually encased the two boys. The sennen eye glowed brightly on Yami's forehead as he fought to keep the shadow realm around them. By Ra...it had been a long time since he had used this power and without Yugi...it seemed much harder than usually to maintain.  
  
"I'm afraid not my Hikari...we're playing memory" he replied softly. Contrary to popular belief, Yugi had very little patience and memory was one of his least favorite games. Usually, he ended up forfeiting to Yami because the pharaoh took so long to make his move. Yami was counting on the fact that this was Yugi's least favorite game...he needed every advantage he could get. Yugi grimaced slightly.  
  
'Great...I don't like this game very much' he thought grimly as a table and chairs materialized out of the shadows and they took their seats. Rows of cards then made themselves present across the table.  
  
"Are you ready aibou?" Yami murmured, glancing up at his light. So much was riding on this game...The person across the table nodded, a determined smirk on his face.  
  
"You do know you have no hope of winning this...protector" Yugi replied, a cold tone to his voice. "I will win...and then...I can leave this world forever and never have to feel anymore pain." Yami winced mentally winced and kept his game face on.  
  
"I shall let you go first."  
  
"Pharaoh...that move will be your downfall."  
  
"We shall see my hikari" Yami replied, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in the chair. "Make your move." Yugi nodded before moving forward in the chair slightly and flipping over two cards. One had a picture of the millennium ankh and the other, a picture of the millennium eye.  
  
"No match" he said, flipping the cards back over. "Go." Yami nodded slightly as he studied the cards in front of him. Five minutes later and he still had yet to go. A quick glance at Yugi would prove that the boy was already getting impatient. Finally, he flipped over two cards: One was a picture of the Dark Magician and the other was one of the millennium puzzle. Silently, he flipped them back over and gestured to Yugi to take his move.  
  
"Finally" the small tri-color haired boy muttered, quickly flipping over his two cards. His smirk widened drastically. "Oh look pharaoh," he drawled, gesturing to the cards he had overturned. "A match." Yami grimaced mentally. Yugi had made a match with the millennium eye. "And with a match, I get to go again..."  
  
"So you do...take your turn..." The spirit's heart sank as he saw Yugi's smirk widen almost into an evil smile that most certainly did not belong on his innocent hikari. This was going to be a very long indeed. Time seemed at a stand still as the game continued on, neither player realizing exactly how much time had passed. At least a dozen moves later, Yugi had pulled ahead in the game and glanced up at Yami, violet eyes narrowed with some twisted form of excitement.  
  
"Oh pharaoh," he practically purred as he made yet another effortless match. "You seem to be losing...who's the king of games now?" Yami clenched his teeth, determined not to reply back...to keep his concentration on the game that he couldn't afford to lose. He couldn't lose Yugi...Yugi was part of his soul...his light...his love.  
  
"You will not win," he muttered as Yugi flipped over two non-matching cards. He reached out to flip a card over in the corner and then one in the other, making another match. "I can not afford to lose that Yugi that I know is still inside of you...he is my other half...my love."  
  
"How *touching*" Yugi replied with a bitter laugh. "The Yugi you knew does not exist anymore. He could not handle this...he could not handle your rejection!" At this comment, Yami's jaw nearly dropped open as he nearly dropped the card that he held in his hand.  
  
"R-rejection? I would never do that to Yugi! I would have helped him through it...I would have helped him cope with the pain!" Again, the cold laugh chilled Yami to the bone.  
  
"That's what they all say...but they leave you eventually...they all do. That's what I told Yugi...and he believed me, "the violet eyed boy explained, his voice hard.  
  
"Why did you tell him such lies?" the pharaoh demanded, standing up, game forgotten. "You knew I'd love him no matter what!" Yugi shrugged as he sat back in his chair.  
  
"I simply told him what he wanted to hear...I've gone un heard for so long and I jumped at the chance to become 'friends' with him once more" he explained calmly. "Make your move protector...I'm getting bored with this game." Frowning deeply, the spirit sat back down but he was so flustered, he missed the easy match. Laughing again, Yugi snatched it up, giving himself an even bigger lead. Muttering a few curses in his native language, Yami watched on, totally helpless as his aibou got another match and another. Finally, after 2 more matches, there was a miss-match and it was Yami's turn once again.  
  
'I must concentrate' he thought determinedly, closing his eyes as the sennen eye began to glow brighter on his forehead. 'So much is at stake for this game...Yugi now has ten matches...and I have five...I have to get at least six more matches for me to win...and there are only thirteen cards left...the odds are against me...'  
  
"Giving up pharaoh?" Yugi asked, feigning innocence. "I wouldn't blame you if you did...you'd only prove my point more..." Yami's crimson eyes snapped open as he focused a cold glare on who was supposed to be his other half.  
  
"I am not giving up imposter," he snarled, quickly making another match. "I love Yugi too much to let him slip through my fingers now. Besides, I have to prove you wrong." There, another match...now only four more to go. Focusing his spiritual energy, the pharaoh quickly made three more matches, watching the disbelief creep on to his aibou's face. "Surprised? We are now tied...one more match and I win and you get to leave." Yugi's smirk twisted into a dark scowl. This was definitely not looking good for him...but there still was a chance that Yami could mess up. A very good chance...with only three cards left, the pharaoh, the king of games could still make a mistake.  
  
"Make your move *pharaoh*" he replied darkly. "You still can lose..." Yami's eyes narrowed dangerously as he flipped over one card, revealing the millennium puzzle.  
  
"I. Shall. Never. Give. Up" he replied firmly before reaching for the card closest to him and flipping it over. Yugi gasped, eyes widening drastically.  
  
'No...'he thought faintly. 'It can't be...' On the card, was a picture of the millennium puzzle. 'He...won.' Yami let out a soft sigh before standing up.  
  
"I have won, imposter" he replied coolly. "Now, Yugi's life is in my hand and you shall leave forever..." The sennen eye began to glow brighter and Yugi let out a soft cry, as he had to shield his eyes from the bright light. "Leave now!" he commanded firmly, gesturing his hand towards Yugi. "Yugi is mine!" All he received for a response was a high-pitched cry as the imposter was hit with a powerful wave of shadow magic that sent the being to the shadow realm for all eternity. After a few minutes, Yami let up, the sennen eye going back to just glimmering slightly. His heart leapt at the sight of Yugi cowering on the ground, tears staining his pale cheeks. "My hikari..." he breathed, taking a step towards the small boy. Yugi simply cried out and scampered backwards, desperate to get away from his darker half.  
  
"L-leave me a-alone!" he cried, trembling violently. "I...I just want to die!" Yami let out a tired sigh as he attempted to get closer to Yugi again. The same reaction happened. Yugi desperately wanted to get away from him...and it was breaking Yami's heart in two.  
  
"Aibou..." he murmured, crouching down to Yugi's eye level. "Do not be afraid...I will not hurt you..." More tears coursed down his pale cheeks as he shook his head quickly.  
  
"Go away Y-yami..." he whispered tearfully. "I w-will taint you...c-curse you...please let me leave...I'm a h-horrible person..."  
  
"No my hikari!" the pharaoh exclaimed softly. "You are a wonderful person whom everyone loves...I love you Yugi...and what happened was none of your fault...you were scared and feeling pain...please let me share your pain...we can work through this together..." The spirit inched closer to the trembling boy and this time, Yugi didn't shy away so Yami took this as a good sign and gently reached out to place a hand on his aibou's shoulder...trying not to flinch as he felt Yugi fight the urge to pull away from his touch. "Please Yugi...let me in again...let me help you..." More tears filled now innocent violent eyes as he began to shake even more. Could he really trust Yami? Would the spirit really help him? Perhaps a better question would be: Did he want help?  
  
'I don't want anymore pain...I don't want any more guilt...no more responsibility...no more stress...' Yugi thought numbly as he felt the shadow realm disintegrating around them. 'Love...what an odd word to hear now...someone else loving me...that's even stranger...' The duelist glanced up at Yami who offered him a gentle smile. 'I see...love.... and trust.... he trusts me...'  
  
"Well hikari? Will you accept my love? Will you accept my help?" Yugi glanced down at the ugly mark on his arm...it was going to become an equally ugly scar...He jumped slightly as a tanned hand landed on top of the healing cut and wrapped around his thin wrist. "I will not judge you for the things that have happened" Yami replied gently. "Please.... trust me Yugi...I will not leave you nor abandon you ever..."  
  
The last comment was the breaking point for Yugi. A sob caught in his chest as the tears began to flow even faster. The small tri-color haired boy threw himself into Yami's waiting arms and just cried, his thin body shaking violently with every breath. Yami made comforting noises and gently rubbed Yugi's back in an attempt to calm his light down. Closing his eyes, Yami transported them out of the dark soul room and back to their real bodies. Yami opened his crimson eyes and blinked a few times. He had unconsciously climbed in the bed beside Yugi and was now holding the small boy tightly against him. Deciding that there was no way he could leave Yugi now, the pharaoh decided to stay there, clutching his aibou...his hikari...his koi to his chest and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.  
  
*~*  
  
Ranger let out a soft hiss as the cold metal handcuffs were slapped onto his wrists. The cop offered him a sweet smile. "You have the right to remain silent, and anything you do say will be used against you in the court of law". The man's scowl deepened as he saw his associates being given the same treatment.  
  
'Damn pigs...' he cursed mentally. "What's Ranger being arrested for?"  
  
"Illegal prostitution and substance abuse... oh, and poisoning Ryuji Otogi and Yugi Mutou."  
  
*~*  
  
Yugi glanced up warily as the doctor approached his bed. He had woken up the next morning, in extreme pain and craving blood and drugs...However, Yami stuck by him, helping him through the cravings, and meeting with his friends...He winced mentally as he remembered the meeting he had with his grandpa...that had been the worst...the hurt look in Sugoroku's eyes had almost been too much too bear...Yugi didn't like the fact that he had hurt so many people...He couldn't help but shy away from any sort of touch...it was like a second nature to him now. Yami stood up as the doctor came close, ready to protect his other half at a moment's notice.  
  
"I see you're doing better today" the doctor replied happily, glancing at the small teen's chart. Yugi merely shrugged. The days seemed too long and the cravings were almost unbearable sometimes...The doctor continued to babble on for a few minutes and Yugi had simply tuned him out. A few minutes later though, the doctor said something that caught his attention. "However, since you came in here because of a drug overdose, I'm afraid you'll have to spend some time in a rehabilitation center."  
  
"Excuse me?" Yami said, crimson eyes narrowing slightly. "Do you mean like staying there over night?"  
  
"No no, of course not" he replied quickly. "Just a month day program should work just as well..." Yugi let out a trembling sigh as he glanced down at his lap. He didn't want to do that...but perhaps it would help...but did he have the strength to go alone? The petit duelist glanced up at Yami hopefully.  
  
// Yes aibou...I will merge bodies with you//  
  
/But...I didn't e-even ask you.../ Yami smiled slightly as he placed his hand on top of Yugi's trembling one...the shaking would eventually go away...it was simply a withdrawal symptom.  
  
//I know what you were thinking// Yugi was about to reply when another comment from the doctor jolted him back to reality.  
  
"Your friend, Ryuji Otogi, is doing remarkable well too..." His gaze dropped to his lap again as the memories of that horrible night flashed before his eyes.  
  
"Otogi is no f-friend of m-mine," he muttered a few moments, reaching up to furiously brush away the tears that had begun to fall again. He would never forgive Otogi for what he had done...never ever ever....The dungeon dice creator had caused too much pain to ever be forgiven...  
  
*~*  
  
Holy cow...longest chapter ever people! And it still could have been longer...Sorry for the lame soul battle thing...I was sorta stuck for an idea and it just came to me... I think it would fairly well...I just could have added so much more detail.... I may go back and do it later....Anywho, please review!!! Only one chapter left.... and that's the epilogue! Thanks to Telpei for betaing this! I make way too many mistakes...  
  
Samurai Butterfly 


	9. Epilogue

And finally I have time to sit down and write the epilogue

Maoz-she really doesn't have time...she's just too lazy to go and study for exams

.... Ok, that's true as well....

Maoz-hn, just get on with things

Okey Dokey...welcome to the very last chapter of Inertia! It's been a long time coming...but the end is finally in sight...

Maoz-there will be a small side fic for Inertia since SB somehow managed to put a plot hole in

grins sheepishly I don't know when the side fic will be coming out....most likely whenever I'm inspired for it...after the epilogue, I'm going to put all my energy into A Hero Journey.

Disclaimer-don't own  
  
Warnings-Angst, yaoi (Male/Male), Rape, general torturing of my favorite characters, Dark fic, swearing.  
  
An additional warning, you'll get to see different sides of characters.  
  
Pairings-Yami/Yugi, Seto/Jounouchi (Jou), possible Ryou/Bakura

'Blah'-thoughts "Blah"-talking /blah/- Yugi to Yami, or Ryou to Bakura

::blah::- Yami to Yugi or Bakura to Ryou (sorry for the change...but fanfiction is being a pain in the ass again with symbols)

--------: that's a scene change since fanfiction won't let me put my other one in...

Inertia

'I am struggling...though, I see some light. I see the hope others have for me; I can feel their love.... I pray to the gods that I am strong enough to endure the challenges life sends me...or I am strong enough to go to my friends...Gods...please give me the strength!'

------------------

Yugi's POV

It's funny how one simple event in your life can change it forever...I used to like lots of lights in my room but now, I love the darkness. I love the way it wraps me up and cuddles me. The light is too bright and shows all my flaws to the world. I used to love being around tons of people...now I can barely stand the company of Yami and Grandpa together. I know I want to be around them...but the other me won't let me. I know Yami banished him to the shadow room but his essence will never disappear completely. Sometimes...when I feel alone and that there truly is no hope left.... he comforts me like before. Right now.... it's been a little more than a month since I was released from the hospital. The people are the rehab center have decided that the one month program wasn't enough and I had to go into the two month one instead. To put it lightly, it's been like going to hell and back everyday. Yami's kept his promise...so far. Whenever he gets a chance...he tells me that Yami will leave me for good.

I let out another soft sigh as I trail a finger across the raised scar on my arm. It's supposedly supposed to disappear...eventually. There are times where I love this scar and times when I hate it and there are times where I want to make it a brother or a sister. A voice calling me from downstairs startles me back into reality. Sighing, I flick on the light and leave the comfort and safety of my room to go downstairs to see what they want.

-----------------

It's now 11pm and surprise surprise, I can't sleep again. This is a normal occurrence for me...but that does little to comfort Yami who insists on staying up with me till I fall asleep. I pick up the remote from the coffee table and begin to channel surf. There was a time where Yami would glance over at me when I did this but now, it's simply become routine and he goes on reading his book. In the beginning, I used to fake being sleepy and try to get him to go to bed but when you share a mind with someone...they tend to pick up on your lies. So now I just wait it out until I finally fall asleep in front of the TV...the funny thing being is that I always end up in my bed the next morning. I suspect Yami carries me. A commercial comes on and I chance a glance over at my other. He looks pale...maybe it's just the lack of light. He shouldn't be reading without any lights on...he'll ruin his eyes. Speaking of eyes...I can feel my eyelids getting heavy...maybe sleep will come early tonight...I let out a quiet yawn before turning my attention back to the tv, though, a few seconds later, my eyelids close completely and a sense of bliss comes over me as the darkness steals me away.

-------------

Normal POV

Yugi let out a shuddering sigh that rippled through his too thin body as they approached the ugly gray building he had learned to detest with a passion. Taking a deep breath, he glanced up at Yami, who offered him a warm smile.

"Ready to merge aibou?"

Before Yugi nodded in response, the violet eyed teen caught a good look at the pharaoh. The crimson eyes had huge bags under them and he didn't hold himself in his usual stance. His shoulders were definitely drooping as though they seemed to carry the weight of the world on them.

"No" he murmured, bowing his head slightly. "I-it's ok...you don't have to merge with me today..." Yami's eyes widened slightly as he knelt down so that he was eye level with Yugi.

"Are...are you sure Yugi?" he asked, voice soft. "Because I do not mind doing it". Yugi merely nodded, not trusting his voice. With a doubtful look in his eyes, the pharaoh rose and placed a gentle hand on his partner's shoulder. "Ok then...but if you need me, just tell me through the puzzle, ok?" Again, the smaller of the pair nodded silently, clutching the puzzle in both hands before moving away from Yami's hand and walking into the depressed looking building, trying not to let his fear show on his face. It was time that he faced some of his fears...starting with the one of being alone.

'I'm going to be fine' he stated to himself as he pushed the first set of glass doors open. 'Nothing is going to happen to me....Yami will be there afterwards to meet me.' Satisfied with that thought, he pushed through the second set of doors.

--------------

Grumbling to himself, Sugoroku balanced a full brown papered grocery bag on his hip as he struggled to unlock the door. A few minutes later, he finally managed it. With a small sigh, he managed to slip his keys back into his pocket before pushing the open the door. As the elderly man entered the kitchen, his tired eyes landed on something that he did not expect to see. The bag slowly slipped from his arms and landed on the ground with a loud crunch, but that didn't register in his mind at the moment. What did register was the fact that Yami was lying on the ground, unconscious. He rushed over to the fallen pharaoh and quickly checked for a pulse, letting out a sigh of relief when he found one. However relieving that was, Sugoroku quickly noticed another problem. He gently placed his hand on Yami's forehead to confirm his suspicions; Yami had a fever...a high one by the feel of it. Shaking his head softly, Sugoroku got to his feet and moved to the phone. He needed some help with this situation.

-----------------

Yugi managed a tiny smile to himself as he slowly stood up and brought his chair over to the side of the room and quickly left, heading for the exit. The day wasn't great...but it wasn't horrible either. The smile widened slightly as he hurried towards the double set of glass doors right in front of him. He knew Yami was out there, waiting patiently for him. He pushed open one door, then the next and stepped out into the late afternoon sun...only to find out that Yami wasn't there...Instead, Seto and Jou were leaning up against the concrete side of the building. The small teen approached them hesitantly. "H-hi" he said in a soft voice. "What are you two d-doing here?" His blonde haired best friend grinned widely, though; the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Can't I come to see my bestest bud in the whole world?" Seto made a comment under his breath, but it was in such a low tone, Yugi did not catch what he said. Jou, however, did and turned to glare at his boyfriend.

"Seto!" he exclaimed. "That wasn't nice." Yugi let out a soft sigh, knowing that if he didn't stop this fight right now, they would be here for a very long time.

"No fighting" he replied, sounding tired. "So why are you guys really here? Have you seen Yami?" The taller pair exchanged a quick look with their eyes that told the millennium puzzle holder that something wasn't right. "Where is he? Has something happened?" Jounouchi immediately shook his head and knelt down beside Yugi.

"No no...He's just not feeling too good... so Gramps asked us to let you know why he wasn't here" the blonde explained quietly. Yugi's violet eyes widened drastically and his face paled slightly, but he merely nodded in response.

'Yami's sick....' He thought worriedly, clasping the puzzle between his small hands. 'And I didn't even notice...what kind of friend am I who doesn't notice when something's wrong?!' He was jolted out of his thought when Jou placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yug? You okay?" Again, the duelist nodded. "Did you want to go home now?" Another nod. Frowning slightly, the blonde stood and brushed off the small bits of gravels that clung to the knees of his jeans. "Okay...let's get going then."

'It's all my fault...' Yugi thought helplessly as they trudged through the streets of domino. 'I never noticed anything....I was too wrapped up with myself to notice...I'm so selfish!' Then, almost by magic, a voice piped up in the back of his head...a voice he hadn't heard in a long time.

'Yes...of course it's your fault you selfish bastard...you let him get this way...it's all your fault!" Biting down hard on his bottom lip, Yugi resisted the urge to cry. He didn't want to listen to that voice...but for some reason, he felt as though he couldn't disagree with it. Why...why was it that when something was finally going right...the whole world came crashing down on his shoulders.

'I...I can't handle this!' he thought widely, though, by controlling his emotions on the outside, Jou and Seto had no idea how upset he actually was. 'It's...it's just too much!'

'Well...you know what to do then when it's too much' the voice hissed in his ear. 'I taught you what to do....now do it!'

------------------

FLASHBACK

The silvery blade glinted in the thin stream of weak light that had managed to force its way through under the bathroom door. The only sound coming from the closed off room was the sound of heavy breathing, almost as though the occupant was anticipating something...something that he/she desperately needed. The light glinted off the weapon once more as it was lowered to the point of contact. There was a small hiss of pain as it came in contact with its target, soon followed by a sigh of what one would think to be relief. Then the process repeated again until the user realized just what he was doing. Letting out a dry sob, the person threw the blade across the room before clutching his arm to him and trying to hide across the room from it. Just then the door opened to reveal a very startled Yami. Crimson eyes flicked from one side of the room where the weapon was and then to the other where his aibou was curled up, tears streaming down his gaunt, pale face. Frowning with concern, the ancient pharaoh moved towards his partner.

"I'm sorry..." Yugi whispered when he felt him get close enough. "So...sorry...I just couldn't....sorry...."

::I am not mad my hikari....:: Yami said mentally as his eyes bore into Yugi's. ::Everyone has their good days and bad days...I can not get mad over something I can not control...:: All he got in response to that was a few sniffles.:: Is it bad? Must they be bandaged?:: Too ashamed to look at what he had down, Yugi held his arm out to the pharaoh, closing his violet eyes as he did so. He couldn't see the blood...it would just make him want more. The pharaoh examined the cuts with a critical eye before grabbing a Kleenex out of the box that sat on the counter and gently wiped the thin trickle of blood that was running down his aibou's arm. ::It's ok...:: he said soothingly. ::There will be no scars...:: At this piece of news, Yugi didn't know whether to be overjoyed or saddened. He jumped slightly as he felt the pharaoh's arms wrap around him and pull him into Yami's lap. The spirit then proceeded to murmur comforting words in Egyptian to his light, hoping to calm those jumpy nerves.

END FLASHBACK

-------------------

Yugi nervously chewed on his bottom lip as that memory played in his head. It had only been three weeks ago, though, it felt as though it was three years instead. And now, after seeing the pale, sickly pharaoh sleeping and after Jou and Seto had gone home after what seemed like endless questioning if he was okay or not and after he finally convinced his grandpa that he was hungry and that he was fine, was he standing there, holding a razor in his opposite hand, staring at his wrist. 'I know I shouldn't...' Yugi thought numbly. 'But...it's just too much to handle...and this will make everything better...I know it will...' However, just as he was about to lower the sharp blade to his wrist, a weak voice echoed throughout his head.

::A-aibou?:: Startled, the tiny teen dropped the weapon and it clattered into the sink nosily.

/Y-yes Yami? /

::D-don't....please....not your fault....::Yugi's once innocent violet eyes prickled with tears that refused to fall.

/B-but Yami...it...it is..../

::Come here my hikari...:: Shaking slightly, Yugi exited the bathroom and hesitantly made his way over to the bed where Yami lay, eyes still closed. The pharaoh blindly groped for his partner. ::Stay...stay with me?:: The question hung heavily in the air for a few minutes. Finally, pushing the nasty voice to the far reaches of his mind, Yugi quickly crawled under the covers and placed a hand overtop of Yami's.

/I'm....I'm here for you.... / Yami managed a tired smile.

::And I for you Aibou....::

----------------------

TIME SKIP-ONE MONTH LATER

Yugi resisted the urge to let out a triumphant cry as the hour hand finally reached the 12. He was finally free! Practically jumping up from his seat, the small boy rushed to place his chair by the side so that he could leave. He had nearly made it out of the room before he heard someone calling him back. Swallowing heavily, he turned around and looking up into the friendly face of for lack of a better word. She had helped him through his worse times here...and he had nearly forgotten to say goodbye.

"Yugi...you don't know how proud I am of you" she stated in a soft voice. "Take care now...and remember...you still have to come back for weekly appointments for awhile".

"I know" he said, though, not even that piece of news could wipe the timid smile off his face. "Thank...thank you for everything" The lady laughed softly but didn't attempt to touch him at all. Yugi didn't know what it was....but he could barely stand the touch of anyone else besides Yami and his grandpa but she respected that fact.

"I'll see you next week; Thursday at 4, now go...I think your 'friend' is waiting for you". Smiling growing slightly at the thought of Yami, Yugi thanked her once again before dashing off down the hall and out the double set of glass doors, his body singing with freedom that he now had. As he opened the last door and stepped out into the warm sunlight, he saw Yami standing there. Smiling growing slightly, he practically bounded over the pharaoh and gave the spirit a gentle hug. Crimson eyes widened in surprise as he automatically hugged the smaller boy back. He hadn't seen Yugi act like this...in well...a long time.

"I take it you're pleased that you're done?" he asked a few minutes later, after Yugi had pulled back slightly. The duelist nodded, still smiling slightly.

"I still have to come back...once a week...but the day program is over finally" he replied, nodding slightly. "But that's good enough for me"

"Ready to go home them?"

"Most definitely" Yugi replied, his eyes shining with a light that Yami hadn't seen for a very long time either. With that light in his aibou's eyes, it was hard to believe that all this had happened to his partner. Yugi slipped his hand into Yami's and they walked down the sidewalk, back to they what they called home.

-----------------------

Yugi let out a content sigh. He had managed to clear his plate for the first time in 4 months...but of course, they had had pizza for supper so his appetite might have been a tad biased...but oh well. Both Yami and Grandpa were proud of him so that's all the really mattered. Tonight, all three of them had planned to go and see a movie in celebration of Yugi's new found freedom. But...washing the dishes came first. Inside of 5 minutes, Yugi's arms were covered in bubbles up to his elbows. Yami had offered to dry and Grandpa was taking care of some business with the shop. About 10 minutes into the chore, the phone rang and Yugi let out a soft groan as his hands were soaking wet. "Can you answer the phone?" Nodding, the pharaoh placed his damp dish towel on the table before picking up the phone.

"Hello?" There was a small pause and Yugi watched curiously as the features on Yami's face darkened considerably. "Why can't you leave him alone?" Another pause. Yami's crimson eyes narrowed into a glare. "I don't think you have to right to ask that. You are aware of what you did, right?" Yet another tense pause while Yugi watched, very curious as to who was on the other end. "Fine, I'll ask him, but if he says no, you have to promise not to ever call again....fine....got it...." And with that, he hung up.

"Yami? Who was what?" The spirit grimaced slightly as he motioned for his aibou to sit down on one of the chairs. He did so, drying his hands on the discarded dish towel as a cold feeling inched into his stomach. Something was not right.... "Who was that?" he repeated, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice. Sighing, Yami turned to face his light.

"It...it was Ryuuji Otogi."

For a moment, it seemed like the world had stopped. Ryuuji Otogi...that name...that cursed name rang out through Yugi's head as memories flashed before his eyes. Ryuji jumping him in the dark street...pressing him up against that rough brick wall...fairly ripping off his clothes...and...and....

"Yugi?" Yugi forced those memories to look back to Yami who looked very worried indeed.

"What....what did he want Yami?" the small teen asked, his voice unbelievably quiet.

"He...he wants to meet with you..." At this comment, Yugi's jaw nearly dropped open. Meet....Otogi? But how...how could he meet him face to face after what happened? How could he face the person that used to be his friend without all these memories coming up and torturing his already fragile mind?

::You don't have to do it aibou:: Yami replied mentally, sensing Yugi's distress. ::No one will think less of you if you don't go through with it::

/L-let me....think about it okay? / came the soft reply. The pharaoh nodded slowly.

::Take all the time you need aibou...take all the time you need...::

---------------------

'I hate mornings...' Yugi thought miserably as he nursed a large cup of hot chocolate at the kitchen table. He had had a horrible night's sleep and his violet eyes were blood shot. He couldn't stop thinking about Ryuuji...and what had happened. By no means should he go and visit that creep...but something deep down inside kept telling him that he owed Otogi this visit...it wasn't like the game creator had taken the drug willingly...He let out a soft groan before letting his head his the table. This whole situation was so confusing and stressful...he didn't want to handle this situation...he wanted to run far far away from it.

"Yugi?" a sleepy voice asked from the door way. The smaller boy glanced up to a sleep looking pharaoh. He was still wearing his plaid pajama bottoms that hung low on his hips and he reached up to rub the sleep away from one crimson eye. "Are you okay? It's only....6 am"

"I'm...fine" he whispered, turning back to his drink. "I just couldn't sleep...too many thoughts and I couldn't find the off switch to make them be quiet" Yami let out a small yawn before sitting down in a chair across from his partner.

"You should have woken me up" But Yugi merely shook his head. Yami needed his sleep...he didn't want the spirit to get sick again. "I would have sat with you."

"I'm fine...I don't need to babysat all the time..." Yugi replied with a hint of sarcasm to his voice. Looking up, he winced at the hurt look on Yami's face. The spirit had done so much for him... "Sorry...I didn't mean it that way...It's just...this whole situation is bugging me."

"Understandably..."Yami replied slowly. "And apology accepted. You're always a bit...moody when you don't get enough sleep." Resisting the urge to stick his tongue out at the teen sitting across from him, the pair lapsed into a comfortable silence. The minutes flew past and the next time Yugi glanced up at the clock; it was 7:30am. Glancing across the table, he noticed that the pharaoh had closed his eyes and laid his head down on the table. Chewing on his bottom lip nervously, Yugi reached out to the spirit with his mind.

/Y-yami? / he asked silently. /Are you awake? / The duelist cracked open one eye to look at his partner.

::Yes...somewhat...did you need something?::

/No...yes....well....I've come a to decision.... / At this comment, Yami's other eye opened and he sat up, a worried look on his face.

::So soon?::

/Yeah.... / There was a long pause. Was he doing the right thing? /I've....I've decided to see him.... / The pharaoh's crimson eyes widened drastically but he said nothing.

::If that's what you've decided aibou...I'll set it up then...::

Yugi merely nodded.

'If anything...Otogi needs to see what he's done...he needs to see what's he's done to me...and I need to see how this has effected him as well...'

----------------------

TIME SKIP-ONE WEEK LATER

'Don't' a voice in his mind whispered into the small teen's ear.

'Do it' a more familiar one hissed. 'You'll feel so much better...you'll have so much more control...' Shaking his head softly, he placed the object he had been gripping in his hand for over 15 minutes back in the drawer.

'No' he thought firmly, although, the rest of his body didn't feel that way. Reaching over with a shaking hand, he turned on the light, flooding it with brightness. He glanced up to look in the mirror, trying to not grimace at his pale, sweaty face. 'The light shows all your flaws' he reminded himself quietly, but he made no movement to reach for the object he held earlier. Taking a deep breath, he swiped the back of his hand across his forehead before exiting the bathroom, making sure to flick the light off as he left. Grabbing his jean jacket from the end of his bed, the petit duelist headed down the stairs to meet up with Yami and Jou, who had offered to go with them to meet with Ryuuji. Managing a small smile as he saw Jou and Yami waiting at the door, Yugi shrugged on his jacket before going to stand with them. "Hey" he murmured softly, unsure of what else he could say. He could feel the uncertainty and tension from his two friends standing in front of him.

::Are you okay aibou?:: Yami asked worriedly, crimson eyes narrowing. ::You don't have to do this if you don't want to...::Yugi let out a soft sigh. The spirit had asked him this every single day.

/Yami...I don't particularly want to do it...but it's something that I have to do.../ he replied, almost sadly. /I....I don't know how to explain it....Can...can you just trust me on this one? /

::Of course my hikari...This is your choice and your choice alone...I trust you to make the right decision:: .Smiling tentively, Yugi brushed past his two friends and opened the door.

"Well?" he asked, trying to make his voice sound like he didn't want to run and hide for the rest of his life. "Are we going to go or not?" This seemed to break up the thick tension in the room and the tall blonde finally cracked one of his customary smiles.

"Let's get this show on the road!" Jou said, exiting out the open door. Yami followed soon after and Yugi left the house left, gently closing the door behind him.

---------------------

Yugi's nerves were at an all time high as they slowly climbed the stairs to Otogi's apartment but he was determined not to run away. It wouldn't do him any good to run away....it only caused more problems; something that he didn't want nor need. Taking a deep breath, the group entered the hallway and walked down towards the door marked with the number 6. The small teen stuffed his hands in his pockets to hide the fact that they were shaking from Yami and Jou. He didn't need them to know that he was terrified of this visit. Sensing something was wrong, Jounouchi glanced down at his best friend worriedly.

"You okay Yug?" Damn it....they had noticed something was up.

"Y-yeah....just a bit n-nervous..." the tri-color haired boy muttered under his breath, keeping his violet eyes glued to the plush carpeted floor. He was finding it particularly hard to breath at the moment...

::Aibou...calm down :: a rich, smooth voice said calmly inside his head. ::If this becomes too much, we can always leave...:: Yugi shook his head widely. No...he had to do this...Forcing himself to a take a deep breath, the duelist lifted his eyes upwards only to find them staring at door number 6. Yami glanced down at him one more time before reaching out and knocking on the door. They waited less than a minute before hearing footsteps from inside and the sound of several locks opening before the door opened, revealing a plump gray haired woman dressed in a casual nurse's outfit. She had soft brown eyes like a pair one would find on a grandmother.

"Come in...he's been expecting you" she chirruped, smiling warmly. Taking yet another deep breath (he seemed to be doing a lot of that these days) Yugi stepped into the cozy apartment, gently sliding his shoes off his feet before going in any farther. He heard Yami and Jou doing the same behind him. The woman began chatting to them but the small teen merely tuned her out and tried to focus on breathing properly. Words like 'Try not to stare' and 'he's in the living room' filtered into his thoughts as he fairly dragged his feet towards the living room, only to get the shock of his life.

There was Ryuuji Otogi...Sitting strapped into what looked like a motorized wheelchair. His black hair that once was shiny and full of life lay flat on his head, lifeless. Emerald green eyes which once were full of determination were now flat and practically glazed over. Ryuuji had been thin enough to begin with but now, it seemed that his papery looking skin was stretched over brittle bones. In short, the game creator's teenage body seemed to be switch for one of a seventy year old. At the sound of someone entering the room, Otogi managed to lift his head slightly to look at his guests. A shadow of a small passed over his gaunt face.

"You...came" he replied simply, though, the effort that it took to get those words out was enormous. Yugi blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things...this was the person that had caused the hell he had been forced into for the past 3 months...Yugi tried to be angry...tried to be furious for Otogi raping him...but instead, he found himself feeling somewhat sorry for his one time friend. Saying nothing, he seated himself on a chair that was farthest away from his attacker. Yugi clasped his shaking hands together and stared down at them. Out of the corner of one violet eye, he saw that Yami and Jou had sat down on the couch that was beside the chair he currently resided in.

"I'm....glad you....came" Ryuuji managed to get out, his lips twitching into what he hoped was a smile. "I...thought you wouldn't...." Yugi swallowed hard.

"I-I felt as though...I had to...." he whispered, still keeping his eyes focused on his lap. Gods...why was it so hard to look up?

"T-thank you..." Otogi murmured, closing his eyes for a moment. "I...I owe you...an apo....apology....an explanation...." The small duelist tensed slightly as though he was about to bolt out of the room.

'An apology?' he thought widely, thoughts whirling around in his head. However, he managed to focus back on Otogi's monotone voice as the nearly motionless boy started to speak again after taking a deep breath.

"I....I was walking back here....and got attacked....something pricked me....then, they left me...on the sidewalk....I got up....felt so weird...." Ryuuji explained, voice trembling slightly as he struggled to get the words out. "I....remember stumbling around for awhile....feeling really out of it...then....the next thing I realize...I'm in the hospital....not able to do anything...." The raven haired boy haired boy took a shaky breath. "T-they told me....I...had been in...injected....with some....experimental drug....a massive dose....it made me do things....that...I wasn't aware of....it....it caused damage to...my brain....nervous system....that's...why I'm this way...." He paused for a moment to look directly at the trembling Yugi. "I...I have a 25 chance....of leading....a so called normal life again....I only....learned afterwards....of what...of what....I put you through....of what I did...." Otogi took a ragged breath as his body began to shake and a lone tear trickled down his pale face. "G-gods Yugi....I...I don't even know....where to...begin....I....I just hope you....can one day...forgive me....I won't blame you if you can't do it....but I...I had to try..." He then fell silent, tears coursing down his cheeks but he made no move to wipe them away.

'He...he can't' Yugi told himself harshly. 'He's paralyzed... he's suffered so much....' He gently ran one shaking hand over the long vertical scar that was underneath his sleeve. He had suffered as well...so much...but he was healing...the scars would fade, lives would move on...but Otogi still had a long journey ahead of him...and Yugi didn't envy him one bit. He chewed nervously on his bottom lip. 'I...I said....that I could never forgive him for the pain he caused me...' he thought confusedly. 'But...he...he seems to be in much more pain than I...he didn't know what he did....but that's still no excuse....I...he....' his thoughts trailed off as he started hopelessly at his lap, trying to find some sort of answer. The silence in the room was deafening. What seemed like an hour later, but really only 10 minutes, Yugi hesitantly stood up and all eyes, except Otogi's were on him as the small teen slowly walked towards his one time friend.

"O-otogi...." he whispered, forcing his haunted violet eyes to meet up with the lifeless green ones. They both had been through so much pain...so much torture...In a way, they were exactly the same. "I...I've been....through a lot....and one day...I'll tell you it....but what I can say for now...is that I forgive you..." Ryuugi's eyes widened ever so slightly and the people in the background sat up straighter, making sure they heard Yugi correctly. Taking a deep breath, Yugi took one more step closer to the game creator and gently wrapped his arms as much as he could around the unbelievably thin body. After a few moments, he pulled back, a look of determination in his once haunted eyes. "Now...now we can both start to heal."

----------------

'So this is what...what it feels like...to be lifted of a burden....to be free of the guilt...free of the sorrow...to be loved by a friend...a true friend....No one said our futures would be easy....no one said it would be like this...no one told us about the pain, trials, agony of this...but together, we'll work through it. It won't happen in a week...it won't happen in a month....but with friends...and others by my side....it will get better...I just had to accept...and there is hope...hope for both of us'

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Eh....Fin?? I had originally planned this to go on one scene longer...But I think that may be drawing it out a bit too long...This chapter is the same or longer than the last....So....this is the end of Inertia people. An idea that started out in driving school and turned into...well...the story you see before you. It's been a hard time coming and I know I'm horrible at updating regularly but a few of you have stuck through with me till the every end and I thank you. In a way...this story has helped me cope with things that have gone on in my life for the past 2 years...learning how to accept them and what to do. Again, I thank you for reading:

Lonely Vigil

Hime no Ichigo

Synchronized Love

Jeti

Telpei (My ever faithful best friend (who I don't deserve to have) and beta reader. Go check out her fics!!!)

Lady Geuna

Giomono

Wolfchanger

GRALNAK

Lavender Nightmares

Ani-Coolgirl

Chris

Angelical Nightmare

Nephrite Eyes

Meowblecat

Muhahahahaha!!!

Phoenixfeather11

LadyMagician

MacDuff's Mistress

AgentPudge

Silent Angel of Hope

KaTyA

Amberdragon

Ishtars riot girl

SoulDreamer

Sarah Harvey

Shizuka4

Fizzy

Ninja Chibi (even though they left flames...I still feel like including them because they did read my story...)

Nina wyndia

Kuso shite shinezo (you have to tell me what your name means now since I finished this!)

Hiei Dragon Girl

Trekkie-54

Meri Winner

Dragoness

And thank you to all the people that review this chapter. Now remember, there will be a small side fic coming out (I don't know when) but sometime for this fic to fix my itty bitty plot hole...

Maoz-you mean cavernous plot hole that I'm amazed no one has caught on to

glares Anyways...that's it for now. I've hoped you enjoyed Inertia. I know I've enjoyed writing it!

Samurai Butterfly

Ps: if you see 'Duke' anywhere in the story, replace it with Ryuuji Otogi...I kept forgetting to use the non-dubbed name...many apologies if I missed one

Sidenote: &!## FANFICTION! ! It totally screwed up my whole formatting and took out words and stuff...I'm surprised that noone's complained about it yet because when I read through the chapter....I could barly understood it and I wrote the damn thing! So hopefully it's fixed...give me a shout if you see something that doesn't look right and I'll fix it ASAP!


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